a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1973 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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29 December 2007 Saturday, 29 December, 1973 Los Angeles My dear Yasomatinandana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 27, 1973. I am very glad to hear you are now about to leave New York for working at the great task of spreading Krsna Consciousness in India. Lord Caitanya has said those born in India have the special responsibility to spread Krsna Consciousness all over the world. So almost all Indians have ignored this injunction by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But now by the grace of my Guru Maharaj I have brought this message to the West and now you and your god brothers and sisters are helping me in bringing it back to the people of India and all over the world. It is a fact that all humanity's suffering is due only to lack of Krsna Consciousness. I have received your check of $6,800.00 and I thank you very much. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (handwritten) N.B. Please tell Bali Mardan that (unreadable). ACBS:sgm Labels: Brooklyn, India, preachers letters | 18:33 |25 December 2007 Tuesday, 25 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Gurukrpa Maharaja and Yasodanandana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. Karandhara has received a letter from Tamala Krsna Goswami and he is expressing some hesitation about your returning to India. I can understand that previously there must have been some quarrel amongst you and that sometimes happens amongst god-brothers. Whatever is done is done; the main thing is we must not carry grudges or continue to quarrel amongst one another. So I am asking you personally, along with Tamala Krsna Goswami to whom I am sending a copy of this letter, to bury the hatchet and join together to push on this movement cooperatively. Tamala Krsna Goswami has been appointed by me to manage and direct our Indian projects and actually he is the most expert and qualified in this connection. You both are also sannyasins and I know that the service which you do the best is Hare Krsna kirtana and Bhagavata Dharma preaching. So I have no objection if you return to India. Rather, I know you both can be a great asset for our programs there. I am requesting you, therefore, to concentrate on preaching and kirtana and work cooperatively with Tamala Krsna Goswami who is in charge there. Whatever imperfections and discrepancies may exist, if you all agree to my directions and cooperate in the right spirit then everything will turn out, but it will require everyone involved to be responsible and cooperate in executing and following the instructions of the Spiritual Master. Now, one thing is I understand that in the past you were visiting Lalita Prasadji and that you may also be planning to continue to visit him when you return to India. This is not approved by me and I request you not to go to see him any more. He holds a grudge against my Guru Maharaja and even if it is transcendental it will gradually appear mundane in our eyes. Whatever is to be learned of the teachings of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura can be learned from our books. There is no need whatsoever for any outside instruction. So I hope that you have understood these matters and I pray to Krsna always for your protection and advancement in Krsna consciousness. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda c.c. Tamala Krsna Goswami Maharaja Labels: Bhaktisiddhanta, co-operation, disagreements, Gaudiya Math, India letters | 17:35 |13 December 2007 13 December, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Govinda dasi, Please accept my blessings. Sudama Goswami has relayed to me the news of his conversation with you recently. We require just now huge sums of money for our projects in India so I request that you send the check for $20,000.00 to me in Los Angeles by registered post. Furthermore, please come here to Los Angeles or return to the Temple in Hawaii. Karandhara and Sudama goswami are prepared to help you in every way. Your husband has gone away so what can be done. But you should return to our Temple and again take up devotional service as I have designed and directed at our Centers. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:Kda letters | 11:54 | 5 December 2007 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 |15 November 2007 Thursday, 15 November, 1973 New Delhi My Dear Sankara Pyne: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your Bengali letter date 4/11/73. I am glad to learn that my books are being read in the Calcutta University and the National Library and others. Go on in this way distributing as far as possible. You can still advance in krsna consciousness even in the office by chanting and giving some percentage to the mandir. Our philosophy is that all the fruits of our activity go to Krsna for His enjoyment. It does not matter what our position may be. Soon I shall be leaving India, but I shall return in March for Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Appearance Day, and I shall see you then. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Labels: India letters | 20:38 |6 November 2007 Tuesday, 6 November, 1973 New Delhi Srimati Indira Gandhi Prime Minister of India Your Excellency Srimati Indira Gandhi Devi: I thank you very much for kindly allowing an interview to my disciples Sriman Gurudasa Adhikari accompanied by his wife also, Srimati Yamuna devi. Perhaps your Excellency is aware of our Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. We are not only preaching the cult by chanting and dancing, but also by presenting in the English language the books of the bhakti cult, especially Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the world. You will be pleased to know that our books are being well received in all parts of the world, and recently we have information from London that in two months time we have sold 30,000 copies of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. I am sending herewith one copy of my book Bhagavad-gita As It Is as my humble presentation. I hope at your convenient leisure time, you can have a glance over this book, at least the preliminary statement in the Foreword, Introduction, and Preface, which will convince you of the importance of the book. We think that Bhagavad-gita As It Is without a wrong interpretation can solve all the problems of human society, namely social, political, religious, economic, philosophical, cultural, or from any angle of vision, because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is above all deficiency, namely mistake, illusion, cheating, and the imperfection of the senses. So we in our humble way are trying to spread this cult of Bhagavad-gita all over the world, and my American and European disciples, two samples of them are meeting with you, are helping me in this connection. After all, Bhagavad-gita is the sublime cultural knowledge, and of course religion is included there, but it is not fanaticism or sentimental religion. It is based on pure science, philosophy, and logic. I wish that our Indian government will be proud to take up this cultural movement very seriously, so that the whole world will be benefited, and India will be glorified. I hope Krsna will give you the proper sense to understand my humble presentation, and it will be a great pleasure to know you have relished this Bhagavad-gita As It Is without any unauthorized commentation. Thanking you once more for giving us the opportunity to see you in this connection. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: India, politicians letters | 05:16 |29 October 2007 29 October, 1973 Vrindaban My Dear Niranjana Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 17, 1973. I am glad that you like the Glasgow temple and that you are going there to preach. We want that the Indian people participate in this movement of Lord Caitanya. My program is to go to Delhi on November 1 for our pandal program starting November 9. The new address there is: ISKCON, G 12 Anand Niketan Extension, New Delhi 110023. So you can come and see me there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs letters | 14:29 | 28 October 2007 Sunday, 28 October, 1973 Vrindaban My Dear Yasomatinandana Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1973 and have noted the contents. So far your arranging to bring other men with you to India for opening a center, that is all right, but if they come as tourists and then go away that is not good. This kind of coming and going is a waste of money. Karandhara can arrange at least one year visa. In that way if you can bring some men here then it will be helpful. But, I think you can get local men here. That is the preaching process. Yes, you can have the gayatri mantra, when I am coming to Los Angeles. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Chicago, India, initiation letters | 14:28 |17 October 2007 Wednesday, 17 October, 1973 Bombay My Dear Tejiyas Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1973 and have noted the contents. Regarding your new place, yes, if many more devotees actually remain there, it is a good scheme, but as we have got four or five branches in India I do not wish to increase more centers. Indians are not joining. This is the deficiency of our movement. Only mediocre Indian men are joining and not the very intelligent class of Indians. But, Delhi is a nice place. Formally you proposed Sundar Nagar. What happened to that? If the book distribution facility is there, then it is a first class place. The more we distribute books, the more we get solid ground of preaching work. So far continuing the Deity worship after the festival, that is a very nice proposal. Try to give it a shape. So between 20th to 25th instant I am coming to Delhi for going to Vrindaban. So I may stay in Delhi for one or two days, and then come back from Vrindaban during the festival. In the meantime please inquire if from Delhi to Nairobi there is any flight 747. Bali Mardan is trying to get me a Mercedes car. So he has asked me who will be in charge of it in my absence. So I have suggested your name. So I think in the new building there is garage also. Another thing, I want a diplomatic passport. Please inquire in this because I am always traveling, and this kind of passport will facilitate my traveling. I am a preacher of Indian culture, why they should not give me this kind of passport. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: book distribution, India, itinerary, New Delhi letters | 14:20 |2 October 2007 4 October, 1973 Bombay My Dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. Just now I am finalizing the sale of the land with Mrs. Nair and there is every chance that this time we shall get it. The gift of the land in Hyderabad is now almost complete. In Vrindaban and in Mayapur the construction is progressing very nicely. So we have undertaken very great projects here and by the grace of Lord Krishna they may all come out nicely. But one difficulty is that hardly any intelligent young men are coming forward to help me here. Whatever I have been able to do all over the world it has been due to the help all of you, my disciples, have given me. Here there are hardly fifty devotees to do all the projects, so this is a great strain. Therefore, I want that from all over our Society fifty more men may immediately come bringing to a total of one hundred men. I have requested our Delhi Temple President Sriman Tejyas das Adhikari to find out the best way how these men can come to India and not be bothered by visa difficulties after coming. He has written me as follows: "1. Entry visas for one year should be applied for and triplicate carbon copies sent to me and I will follow up here in pushing it through. 2. The occupation should be listed as student-trainee or some such thing but not minister or preacher. 3. I should get a complete list of the devotees by Karmi name, spiritual name, and all details such as Passport number and issue date, previous visits to India, etc. 4. The entry visa should be multiple entry." So please do the needful in correspondence with Tejyas das and Tamala Krishna Goswami, so that these fifty men may come here as soon as possible. One thing is that British Commonwealth citizens do not require visas for entering India, so if some of the men coming are from these zones that will make it easier. Hoping this meets you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:tkg Labels: India, management letters | 20:03 |27 September 2007 27 September, 1973 Bombay My Dear Karandhara Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 12, 1973. I am so glad to learn that you have again ordered to Dai Nippon Printing Co., for so many books. This engladdens me when I see our literature very widely distributed. This was the subject matter of my Guru Maharaja's satisfaction. He liked to distribute books more than constructing temples. He personally advised me to print books if I have got some money. So by His mercy we are printing books and constructing temples, as well. Although in the beginning we had no such opportunity, but still I brought some books from India, and that was the foundation stone of our Krsna consciousness movement. So I want all our centers should give very much importance in the matter of book distribution. I am also very much pleased to learn that now in San Diego there is Radha Krsna Deity and They are being worshipped very nicely. Here the land negotiation and compromise with Mrs. Nair is almost complete. We have to pay immediately 14 lakhs 50 thousand, plus stamp duty, etc., so nearly about 16 lakhs. The major portion of this amount is being contributed by Bali Mardan. Still we have to arrange for transferring 20 Krsna Books. That you have to arrange and on hearing from you I shall advise you. Herewith please find a check for Dollars 111.11 which please deposit in my investment a/c. So far my going back to L.A. is concerned, it was my plan to go there by October 10, but I don't think the negotiations with Mrs. Nair will be completed before October 27, therefore I want to go back to Los Angeles after completing this transaction. I approve your proposal for converting Spiritual Sky Incense Co. into a trust, and the trustees as proposed by you are approved by me. Encourage all the GBC members to manage everything very perfectly. We are very much assured that the GBC members are improving gradually, and in the future they will be able to manage world preaching of the Krsna consciousness movement without difficulty. After finishing these Bombay affairs I am thinking not to increase any more branches for the time being. Whatever branches we have already opened let them be managed perfectly. You will be glad to know that Hyderabad land has been donated as gift and I am signing the agreement today. Another thing is that in India we are not getting expected cooperation from the intelligent younger section. Their brain is now obsessed with economic development. The government is encouraging to eat meat and drink. Big, big shops are now opened in every city for selling mutton, beef, and wine. But the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is now transferred from the Indian hands to the hands of the Americans and Europeans. I think for management of our Indian branches we shall require more men from the Western countries. Formally Western people used to come to India to teach them how to develop industries, railway and other modern activities in politics, sociology and even in religion by spreading Christianity. Now the Western people have to take the leadership of spreading Vedic culture all over the world. I have given the initiation, but the rest of the work will depend on you young men and women of America. Kindly organize things in that spirit and be blessed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and through Him by Lord Krsna. Herewith also find a letter to the devotees of Los Angeles who have deposited a sum of Dollars 256.53 in my checking a/c. You have not written anything about Hawaii affairs. I am anxious to know what is the position. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Enc: 2 Labels: GBC, India, Los Angeles, publishing letters | 10:16 |21 August 2007 21 August, 1973 Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. Please immediately send me the names and addresses of all the foreign devotees in India. Please also their passport numbers and nationality. I am just now speaking with His Excellency The High Commissioner Rasgotra Maharaja Krishin and he has promised to help us with the devotees who are being harassed by the Indian authorities. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:hda letters | 12:16 | 8 August 2007 8 August, 1973 Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 2, August 1973 and I have noted the contents very carefully. Yes, Hrsikesananda Maharaja may collect money for Vrindaban, that will be nice. But I notice that you are to collect one Lakh only, how is that? You are GBC so you should collect more than the others, you should collect the highest amount. One thing is that the Hyderabad scheme is hazy, so that collection may be spent for Vrindaban. See the correspondence with Mahamsa above. Yes, your idea to install Krishna Balarama first is all right. It would be nice if all the deities can be installed at the same time, but if it is not possible then installation of Krishna and Balarama is all right. I am very pleased to note that in Delhi they are doing the life membership programme. Previously I suggested this to Madhavananda and now he is doing it, that's nice. I also was meeting big Government officials and distributing my Back To Godhead in that way, at that time there were no books. I have already written to you in my letter dated July 20th 1973 that I will dispatch the 9 Lakhs if negotiations are fruitful. (See enclosed letter). You show three Lakhs and I shall show 9 Lakhs. Yes, I have received the Bank statements from C. B.I. I shall talk of this thing later. Out of the 150,000 Rs/. you have repayed only 27,000 Rs/. you have to complete this immediately so 3 lakhs will be shown from Gowalia Tank Branch and 9 Lakhs from C. B.I. Head office, so whatever money you collect use it to fill up this blank. You fill up the 50,000 Rs/. and I shall show the balance of 9 lakhs in the C. B.I. Head office. So pay immediately another 30,000 Rs/. and free the second 50,000 Rs/. The collections from your part meant for Vrindaban may be sent later because the construction is going on there. First of all fill up if you are serious about negotiations. I have met Mr. Therany in Zurich and he is a nice gentleman, he will pay as promised, so keep him satisfied. Observe many festivals, that will keep both public and devotees alive. Temple means festivals and Festivals means chanting and distribution of Prasadm. Regarding Hyderabad, I have got the draft and letter and the reply is sent to Mahamsa and you. If you have got a copy then you ask Mr. Vakil that the clause No. 5 shall be omitted. You cannot go to Hyderabad unless approved by me, you will understand everything from the enclosed letter. But I am happy to know that the preaching is going on. Above all our preaching must go on. If we do not get that land then we may purchase some other land, that is not a very difficult thing, but preaching is our real business. If Mrs. Nair's solicitors are serious then we can show bank reference by the 25th August 1973. Gargamuni told me that he collected 50,000 Rs/. of which the major portion was spent to pay for bills that Madhavananda left unpaid. If this is a fact then it is most dangerous. Let me know. Gargamuni is sending you reports, but have you not received this report? I hope this letter meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami enclosure ACBS:hda Labels: Bombay, India, life membership, management letters | 17:20 |5 August 2007 5 August, 1973 Bhaktivedanta Manor The Manager, Central Bank of India, Head Office Bombay, Fort INDIA Dear Sir, Regarding account number 9-381, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Building Fund. I wish to send some money on account of building fund, as soon as you receive it you have to transfer it for fixed deposit account for 6 months. Please send me the necessary papers for our joint signatures. The purpose of dispatching this money is for construction of temples in India. Prior to this letter we requested you to send us a statement of accounts, but we have not received any such statement till now. Kindly send the statement also. Yours sincerely A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Syamasundara Das Adhikari ACBS:hda letters | 16:34 | 1 May 2007 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 |27 April 2007 27 April, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Tamala Krishna Goswami: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated _ from Bhopal and also one forwarded to me from London with enclosures dated April 11, 1973. I am so pleased to learn of the successful preaching; now go on in this way. If possible in Kanpur there is one man ready to receive you. You can open correspondence. In this way you visit all the important cities and you will get thousands and thousands of life members. We can organize in each and every factory of Mr. Birla Sankirtana Movement and in this way can save the country from Communist tendency if a big man like Birla cooperates with us. In Indore we have got many life members who will help you. The certificate the Governor has given that you are the real sadhu should be published. If possible the Governor may be induced to become life member so that other government men may follow. Tejiyas Das has already made many M.P.s life members. I am anxious to know about the Mayapur progress. I want that the house must be completely finished before my returning. In London we have purchased land. Mr. Birla wanted to construct temple there. His idea is that the government would not object to sending this marble there so that the carved pieces may be sent and if expert men go there to construct the temple it will be very nice. Some men from U.S.A. are going to Mayapur for doll making, so teach them nicely and we shall be asking doll exhibit in London. Many tourists come there, and it will a great attention for the tourists. Now all you senior members work very hard and let me retire for writing books. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: India, Mayapur, sankirtan letters | 13:16 |9 April 2007 Monday, 9 April, 1973 New York My Dear Tamala Krishna Goswami: Please accept my blessings. I am now here in New York temple where things are going on very nicely, but I am anxious to have from you the report of the Bhopal activities. Please write to me here at your earliest. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: India letters | 18:00 |24 March 2007 24 March, 1973 Hyderabad My Dear Giriraja: Please accept my blessings, We want money for purchasing the land, about $130,000. Last time you attempted to take loan from the bank, but this was not fruitful because Srimati Morarji would not stand as guarantor. So, if you agree to return back the money with interest ($130,000) to our Mayapur construction work, then I shall arrange the money from USA. Atreya Rsi is bringing this letter so you can talk with him and do the needful. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/rdg letters | 09:24 | 15 March 2007 Thursday, 15 March, 1973 Calcutta My dear Tejiyas: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 12th and have examined it with great pleasure. This program of approaching MPs is very very important. If you can get this petition approved, that would be a great boon to our movement. Even if 15 or 20 MPs join our Society that will be a new chapter for us. And your petition is very attractively worded. Actually India is the spiritual leader of the world but the fools and rascals are trying to sabotage the position. Your school preaching is very much welcomed by me. We are in need of new recruits to carry out so many ambitious programs here in India, so if you can infiltrate the school system as you did in America that will be a great service. Yes, this program for the factories I have already outlined. Let the labor-management disputes be finished by prasada and regular kirtanas with temples right on the premises. Your statement that "no intelligent man can resist becoming the member'' because of our books is a very good observation. Now these beautiful books have become the firm basis for our movement and any intelligent person in any part of the world cannot but fail to admire them. Devotees there or visiting must follow our regulated principles under your direction or they need not stay. Devotees should not be in India on their own business or on a whim, they should have our GBC approval. Everyone must be favorably engaged. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/rdg Labels: India, life membership, New Delhi, preachers letters | 04:47 |6 March 2007 Tuesday, 6 March, 1973 Calcutta My Dear Abhirama: Please accept my blessings and I beg to acknowledge receipt of your unsigned report dated the 18th of February. I have just arrived here a few days ago and by the 15th I shall go to Mayapur on the festival celebration of Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day. We are expecting many thousands to visit there and our nice building is almost completed. Yes, your appointment as the new president of the Miami Temple is completely approved by me, now take advantage and preach among all the young people there and recruit some good men. For some time now I have been thinking to have a nice place in Florida and now it looks like you are trying for it. As far as the Deities are concerned, we do not want to repeat the same mistake again, so it is better that you wait to get some more brahmanas before installing Them again. For worshipping the banyan tree, the representation of Krsna, simply offer a little flower, incense and water. Of course, now I am trying to get more valuable time for my translating of Bhagavatam, so you may consult in these matters with Rupanuga Maharaja, your GBC representative. Yes, you are feeling increase in strength with increase in service, and I am not the actual bestower of mercy, rather I am just a messenger for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So just work hard for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His mercy will fall upon you like torrents of rain in the monsoon season. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/rdg letters | 05:11 | |
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