a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1973 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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8 December 2007 Saturday, 8 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Mahajan, Sharanagata devi and Bhaktim Hera, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your note and offering of December 3, 1973 and on behalf of my Guru Maharaj I humbly accept it. I am happy to have you as my second initiated disciples and I request that you take this responsibility very seriously and carry on with this Krsna consciousness Movement. Always be strong in our principles and faithful in Krsna and Guru and success is guaranteed. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS: kda Labels: initiation letters | 14:27 |8 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Trai das, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated December 2, 1973. Thank you very much for pushing on our book distribution program so enthusiastically. Kindly offer all the devotees there my deepest gratitude for their wonderful service in this connection. I understand from Karandhara that you are one of the most staunch supporters and workers for distributing our books and I assure you that it is the highest service to my Guru Maharaja. Thank you very much. I hereby accept the devotees you have recommended as my duly initiated disciples and their names are as follows: Edward S. - Basu Gopala das Donald - Narindra das Ernest - Nityasiddha das Gary - Krsnarcana das Michael - Bhudhara das Rita A. - Govinda-vallabha dasi Rupanuga Maharaja may chant their beads. Take good care of them all and always be an example for them to follow in Krsna Consciousness. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: book distribution, initiation letters | 14:26 |7 December 2007 8 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Kadamba dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your note and gift of one ring. Just now I am wearing it. Because you have sincerely offered, I must accept on behalf of my Guru Maharaja although I am not worthy. I have met your son. His lovely features are very nice and he appears to be a first class brahmacari. Always be an example to him by being steadfast in Krsna Consciousness and your motherhood will be perfected. Hare Krsna. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda Labels: children letters | 14:25 |8 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of the painting you have sent. This is not a good style of painting. It is an artistic style for sense gratification only. I cannot encourage this style -- it should be stopped immediately. Paintings should be like the Deities, formal and worshipful. This type of painting is sentimental and not authorized. Paintings should be as our artists in New York are doing. Do not introduce any new styles. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB: The picture is good from artistic point but we want to worship the Lord. Labels: art letters | 14:24 |6 December 2007 Thursday, 6 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Locanananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated December 2, 1973. From the Vedic point of view a man can have more than one wife provided he can maintain each of them very nicely. The practical example is our Lord Krsna. He had 16,108 wives but for each wife he maintained a palace with servants and everything. We do not encourage more than one wife, but provided the man is highly responsible and conscientious and the woman agrees then we have no objection. The thing is how you will maintain two wives? You cannot give up one and take another. We cannot be responsible. You will have to manage everything and if there is any legal implication then we cannot be responsible. The Temple cannot pay for you to have two wives so it must be arranged for outside. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda Labels: grhastha, marriage, Paris letters | 18:31 |6 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Guru das, Please accept my blessings. I have just received a note from the Punjab National Bank, a copy of which is enclosed. The thing is I sent Rs. 676 to my account in Vrindaban at the Punjab National Bank. They have acknowledged receipt but they say my account is closed. Now, last year when I was in India I closed one account and opened another with a deposit of Rs. 2,000. So why do they say my account is closed? My account book is not with me so I cannot give you the details but you kindly inquire there what is the position. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda letters | 14:25 | 6 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Gunagrahi, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated December 2, 1973. I hereby accept on your recommendation, Hasyakari Prabhu and his wife Nari devi dasi as my second initiated disciples. Enclosed find one thread duly chanted on by me and two gayatri sheets. You may take instruction from Rupanuga Maharaja on the proper performance of a yajna and the mantra may be heard through the right ear from the cassette tape recording. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda Labels: Buffalo, initiation letters | 14:24 |5 December 2007 Wednesday, 5 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Sukadeva, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated December 4, 1973. Thank you very much for increasing the book distribtuion in Seattle. My Guru Maharaja was most pleased to see books distributed so continue to increase it more and more. Yes, your debating program is approved by me. If we study the Bhagavad-gita thoroughly we can defeat all philosophies. Yes, I can come to Seattle. I am going to Mexico City and Chicago to return to Los Angeles around December 24th. So after that we shall consider coming there. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:kda Labels: book distribution, itinerary, Seattle letters | 14:23 |5 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Bhagavan, Hamsaduta, Mukunda, Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I have arrived safely in Los Angeles by Krsna's Grace and everything here is going nicely. Now, as you know we require some men for India. Karandhara informs me that you have declined to send any. Our programs there are important and there is a great need. We have not captured very many first class men there so we must import. I am requesting therefore that you send at least one or two first class men from your zone. They should apply for one year entry visas. They should not go on tourist visas. Kindly make arrangement for this. My program is to visit some of our U.S.A. branches for some time, keeping Los Angeles as my home base and then to return to India by Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda Labels: India, itinerary, Paris letters | 14:20 |5 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Tamala Krsna Goswami, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letters dated November 29th and 30th. Regarding the refusal of my entrance into Nairobi, no reason has yet been disclosed for the denial. I have written one letter, a copy of which is enclosed herewith, but there has been no reply. You may get the letter published in India. After proceeding to London I heard from Brahmananda Maharaja that on account of the denial of entry a commotion was caused amongst the people so the President of Kenya verbally said he was issuing a letter with permission for myself to enter. I waited in London but it did not come so I proceeded on to Los Angeles. The idea is to curtail the Indian influence in Kenya, either political or religious. That I can understand. Brahmananda Maharaja was allowed but not myself or my secretary. It was a great trouble for me. From Bombay to Nairobi took nine hours, then six hours waiting in the airport and then 9 hours to London. It was a great strain. I rested for three days in London. Regarding our Bombay project: somehow or other the foundation should be dug immediately. Yasomatinandana Prabhu, who has a degree in structural engineering, is here and I have requested him to go to India with Giriraja who is recovering. They will come as soon as possible. Regarding visas for our American devotees coming to India, I have made arrangements with the Consulate General of India in New York to grant six month student visas, renewable in India, for all our men. The premise is that we want our men to come to India to learn the Sanskrit language so that we can study the Vedic literature. So you must arrange for a teacher to coach these boys in Sanskrit. It will be very nice, they can learn Sanskrit and at the same time allowed visas. The Consulate General was very kind to meet and help us in this way. Also, I met with the High Commissioner of India in London and requested him in the same way. If our schooling is established we will get rid of this visa problem. Regading the Government loan for our tourist hotel, we have already invested twenty lakhs so they may loan us at least 1 crore. Do it carefully. If we construct a very attractive hotel many tourists will come just like the Holiday Inn. So far as the arrangement with Australia for trading books for ghee, go ahead and do it with my permission. Karandhara has agreed. If you think there is a good opportunity for getting surplus food grains from the U.S.A. then you may come here for sometime to work on this scheme after Giriraja and Mohanananda have returned to Bombay. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda Labels: Bombay, construction, Nairobi, visas letters | 14:19 |4 December 2007 Tuesday, 4 December, 1973 New York My Dear Spiritual Son and Daughter: Please accept my blessings. On the recommendation of Gunagrahi Das I am pleased to accept you as my initiated disciples. I am giving you spiritual names as follows: Anthony is Ajita-ananda and Patty is Purvacitti, wife of Maharaja Agnidra. You send a copy of this letter to Kirtanananda Swami and he will send you your japa beads duly chanted upon as I have prescribed. Now my special request is that you strictly follow the four regulative principles. This will keep you strong in Krishna consciousness. Nor should you neglect the Ten Offenses against the Holy Name. Just chant Hare Krishna in this way, and you will feel yourself advancing in spiritual life. This is the program of Lord Caitanya for us. So you do these things and that will please me very much. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Buffalo, initiation letters | 14:19 |4 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Jose Serratos, Please accept my blessings. Yes we require all of our books to be translated into Spanish. In this connection please contact our Haihaya Prabhu at our Mexico City branch or Citsukhananda Prabhu at our Caracas branch as they are managing Spanish translating. Hare Krsna. I hope this finds you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda Labels: South America, translating letters | 14:18 |3 December 2007 Monday, 3 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Sri Govinda, Please accept my blessings. Enclosed find the names of the devotees you have recommended for initiation which I hereby accept as my duly initiated disciples: Bryan Davis--Basu-Ghosh das Paul Wax--Pandrika das Andy Frenkel--Sankirtana das Puspu Singh--Yasoda devi dasi Pat Langlois--Subhadra dasi Edie Manischewitz--Virmila dasi Also, find one sacred thread and two mantra sheets for the second initiates. Hold a fire yajna and afterwards the second initiates may listen to the Gayatri mantra tape through the right ear. I hope this finds you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/Kda Labels: Chicago, initiation letters | 14:17 |3 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Tejiyas das, Please accept my blessings. I have five days ago safely arrived here in Los Angeles by the Grace of Krsna. Since leaving India, I have not heard from you. Guru das has written that the work has stopped in Vrndaban for want of finances. What is the position of your collections in New Delhi? I am arranging to collect and send money from here for the Vrindaban project and I also want you to concentrate on collecting there. We want to finish this project as soon as possible so that we will have our Center firmly fixed up in Vrindaban. Kindly report to me the progress in this connection. Regarding Mr. Aggarwal's offer to print our abridged Bhagavad-gita As It Is: whether or not he is still serious for this proposal and have quotations for the production been taken? The price should not exceed Rs. 2 per book. The size may be reduced a little to meet this budget if necessary. We want to sell for Rs. 3 at most. This edition is especially meant for the student class. We can print and distribute in India but cannot export them. It will be better not to sell them through bookstores but rather direct to the consumer. The stock should be kept in our custody at our own warehouse. How things are going on at our Delhi Center? There is a good opportunity for cultural discussion to be held there, especially amongst the foreigners, so try to arrange some programs. There must be feasting also, if not weekly then at least occasionally. All our life members and patrons should be invited. For example Mr. Bridge Mohan Chandiwalla who recently donated Rs. 5,000 is very favorable so we must endeavor to keep his sympathy and support. You may inquire from Mr. Kilnani, who was previously a commissioner in Germany, what is the procedure for bringing one automobile into India. Recently he has imported his Mercedes Benz so we also have an auto we want to take to India. How to go about it? Kindly reply soon bearing all news. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/Kda Labels: collecting, New Delhi, publishing letters | 14:16 |3 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Karnamrta, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 30, 1973 along with the Vaisnava poem. Your humble attitude is very much appreciated by me. Always chant Hare Krsna and as far as possible help me push on this movement by preaching this philosophy and distributing our books. Yes, you may go to India and on your way you may stop in Los Angeles and visit me. I shall be very happy to see you. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/Kda Labels: l letters | 14:14 |3 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated November 29, 1973. Thank you for the report of the progress of Temples in your Canadian Zone. Now that we have opened some Centers, they must be maintained and our work go on. Book and prasadam distribution, Sankirtana and Deity worship is our only business so these programs must remain energetic. Your number one duty is to see that they are continuously carried on with enthusiasm. One thing is that we shall not open any more Centers for the time being. We have so many programs which require manpower and resources so we now must consolidate our energy. I hereby accept the following devotees as my initiated disciples and their names are enclosed: Sylvan Lushley--Niskincana das Jocelyn Prabhu--Ghosh Thakura das Linda Ross--Malini dasi Linda Epstein--Rudrani dasi Moria Jones--Pratima dasi Mary Everall--Misrani dasi Enclosed also find three sacred threads and six mantra sheets for the second initiates. Hold a yajna and afterwards they may hear the Gayatri mantra through the tape in the right ear. All the initiates should collect daksina and send it to Los Angeles c/o Karandhara. I will consider coming to Toronto later on. For now, carry on as my representative there and be strong and always faithful in Guru and Krsna. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/Kda Labels: initiation, leaders, Toronto letters | 14:14 |2 December 2007 Saturday, 1 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Jayananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1973. I was very happy to hear from you. I am always thinking of you and praying to Krsna for your advancement in Krishna Consciousness. That you are engaged in street Sankirtana in San Francisco is fully approved by me. That you are feeling more and more enthusiasm by doing this is quite natural as Sankirtana is our life and soul. My Guru Maharaja used to say, "One who has got life, he can preach." Yes, I remember the old days in San Francisco. Krsna has been so kind upon me to have sent so many sincere disciples to help me push on this Movement on behalf of my Guru Maharaja. You continue with your program there in San Francisco, always strictly keeping our principles and Krsna will bless you with greater and greater realization of the importance of this Movement. I am dependent upon you, my older disciples, to carry it on. Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Trayi devi dasi, and thank her on my behalf for the three nice drawings of Krsna lila. Also, please thank Bhavatarini devi dasi for her drawing of Gopala Krsna. So far how she can serve me, the best service is to chant Hare Krsna always and spread it to every town and village. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/Kda Labels: San Francisco, sankirtan letters | 18:25 |1 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Bhakta Don, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your recent letter. The topmost science is this Krsna Consciousness and that is a fact. The so-called modern science has become spoiled for lack of this perspective. Real science means to acquire perfect knowledge from the Parampara, not by so-called academic and empirical research. Such technique is bogus and will not help us in obtaining perfect knowledge. Yes, you should use your scientific credentials to present this Krsna Conscious philosophy. Everything may be used in Krsna's service. It may not be possible to convince the rascal scientists of this Krsna Consciousness philosophy because after all, Krsna gives everyone free will and if it is their determination to remain atheistic how shall it be checked? Our principle aim is to challenge their nonsense proposition so that the layman and common people may be saved from this rascaldom. You study our books very carefully under the guidance of Amarendra Prabhu and preach our philosophy from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in your scientific language. Krsna Consciousness is perfect so it can be substantiated by all means of argument and logic. The main theme is that life has come from life and not generated from matter as they foolishly claim. You just prove this point and it will be a great victory. The Spiritual Master is present wherever his sincere disciple is trying to serve his instructions. This is possible by the Mercy of Krsna. In your attempts to serve me and in all your sincere devotional sentiments I am with you as My Guru Maharaja is with me. Remember this always. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:kda Labels: scientists, spiritual master letters | 18:24 |1 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Abhirama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 14, 1973. Regarding the initiations, I accept the following as my initiated disciples: Richard Richman--Raghava das Joel Peir--Caitanya Jivan das Paul Baker--Sriman Pandit das Carl Franzen--Sulochana das Howard Wilfield--Narahari das Neils Hertz--Vallabha Sen das Barbara Drehl--Bhuvana Pavani dasi Holly Franzen--Sulochana dasi Patti Welfield--Bhagavat Sakti dasi Maureen Hertz--Ragunandini dasi So you take instruction from Rupanuga Maharaja on how to properly perform the yajna after he has chanted on their beads. Each disciple should go for collecting guru-daksine after the ceremony and the proceeds may be sent here c/o Karandhara. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/kda Labels: initiation letters | 18:23 | |
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