a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1973 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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4 October 2007 4 October, 1973 Bombay My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your report for Central USA dated September 25th and I have noted the contents with great satisfaction. Your reports are coming more regularly than any other GBC and from them I can understand that things are developing very steadily under your supervision. Karandhara's plan to eventually purchase the entire block of land for Gurukula at the low price it is available is good. Yes, Dayananda is correct. When the boys and girls become ten or twelve years and above, then should be separated. At that time special care should be taken, because once they become a victim of sex their whole life becomes spoiled. I am very glad to learn that Govardhana dasa has become a leader in the deity worship, due to his inspired service. That is the real thing--one who has inspiration of life, he can do anything. Rupa Goswami explains this as utsaha, enthusiasm. I am very pleased that you and Hrdayananda Swami are traveling and preaching and that everyone was singing and dancing at the kirtana at the U. of Iowa. It is a sign of great success. Your plan to spend up to one month in each big university city sometimes taking an apartment for conducting regular evening meetings is approved by me. But do not open any permanent centers, just take the apartment for a month and then move onto another city. For the time being new centers may not be opened. Whatever centers we have got already, let us organize them very soundly. If more men are available, let them come to India. I have already written to Karandhara that fifty more men are required in India, so if possible, you may arrange for some men to come from your zone. So I am very pleased with your preaching, please continue with all enthusiasm and determination and win the hearts of all your fellow countrymen by offering this authorized process of Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:tkg Labels: college preaching, sex life letters | 20:01 |18 June 2007 Monday, 18 June, 1973 Mayapur Mr. Suresh Candra c/o District Commissioner's office Vreeden Roop WB Dem. Guyana, South America Dear Suresh Candra, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 21 May 1973 and I have noted the contents. I am pleased to note that as of January 1st you have given up eating of meat, fish or eggs, as well as intoxicants and gambling. You have asked what is meant by illicit sex. Sex should be used only in marriage for begetting nice children to raise in Krsna Consciousness. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that I am sex life performed according to religious principles. Sex life for any other purpose means illicit sex. The use of contraceptive method for sex enjoyment is very sinful. Restraint in the matter of these four sinful activities is achieved by tasting the superior mellows of Krsna Consciousness. You say that you are chanting 15 minutes daily from 8:15-8:30. Please go on and increase this chanting as much as you can and that will help you very much in advancing in Krsna Consciousness. Regarding your request for cassette tapes, we have organized a whole department for distribution of my lectures on tapes and you may obtain them by writing to Golden Avatara. Productions, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California. Simply by hearing the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness and chanting Krsna's names all dirty things will be cleaned from the heart. Hoping this will meet you in good health, Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: regulative principles, sex life, South America letters | 04:50 |31 March 2007 Saturday, 31 March, 1973 Bombay My Dear Kaliya Krsna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 12th March and I have examined the contents carefully. You have committed a very grave error. I am depending on you leaders for the future of our Society, yet there is all this interest in illicit sex life. This is causing me heartache worrying how things will go on. What can I do? I have given you all instructions, why you cannot follow them? Now you are supposed to be a responsible devotee, and this situation must be rectified, it is bad example for others. You have begged for my blessings and I give them to you because you are my spiritual son and I have taken responsibility for engaging you in the service of Krsna. But I think you can from now on follow the regulated restrictions strictly and refrain from any sex life at all, that can be your austerity. Your proposal to go to Chicago Temple under the supervision of Satsvarupa Maharaja and Kirtanananda Maharaja is very good. They are your well-wishers. Now you may take up your activities with determination and seriousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: regulative principles, sex life letters | 09:27 |4 March 2007 4 March, 1973 Calcutta My Dear Bhakta das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your encouraging letter dated the 20th February. Just yesterday I have arrived here in Calcutta, and by the end of the week expect to go to Mayapur where are having a grand celebration on the Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Yes, you have my sanction for installing the new Deities with the cooperation of Karandhara and/or Sudama Maharaja (I think he is there on the West coast). They know how to do it. The more you can decorate the Deities soberly, not fanatically, the more you become decorated with all honors. At the present moment, civilized man has forgotten how to decorate, therefore this mini-skirt--the business of the trees--to remain naked. Human being means to be decorated, like Krsna is decorated, not naked. You say that you have eight brahmanas, that is very good, now engage all of them so that everyone becomes expert. By nicely worshiping the Deities we can be so pure in condition of health, mind and intelligence. Yes, all blessings of Krsna upon Saranam dasi, for her loyal book distribution. I am very pleased, and you can give both her and Satyaki dasi second initiation. So now you can have ten brahmanas, yes? I have also received your $100.00 daksina and I thank you very much for it. Regarding Nanda Kumar, try to help him. He is a good boy and he will come out again very nicely. But he must marry that girl, we cannot play with sex-life, that is not our business. If he shows he is faithful for three months, then he again can take care of Radha-Krsna. Your book distribution, that is very nice. Our books are unique, all this distribution means that they are being appreciated. There is no such literature throughout the whole world. Now keep yourself pure and Krsna will help you. Krsna has become merciful upon you. I am only the agent. He has special favor upon Americans, so tell your countrymen to take advantage and spread our teaching all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. Hare Krsna. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/rdg letters | 06:26 | 14 February 2007 Monday, 14 February, 1973 Sydney My Dear Rupanuga, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated 31/1/73. After conferring with my various GBC representatives I have concluded that polygamy must be strictly prohibited in our society. Although it is a Vedic institution still there are so many legal implications. Neither are many of our men fixed up enough to tend for more than one wife. Polygamy will simply increase the sex life and our philosophy is to gradually decrease the sex life till eventually there is no sex life. The policy should be that all the women are given the utmost protection. Women are looking for husbands because they feel unprotected so it is up to the senior members to give all protection to the women. Regarding our sankirtana party members dressing up as hippies in order to increase book distribution this is not a very good plan. I am instructing Bali Mardan Maharaja that this should be stopped, that we should not give anyone cause to call us hippies, but the devotees can dress up in respectable clothes like ladies and gentlemen in order to distribute my literatures under special circumstances, but even this program should not become widespread. It should only go on under the supervision of Bali Mardan Goswami and Karandhara das. Wherever there are individuals there is bound to be difference of opinion. Therefore for this purpose I have formulated the GBC. Therefore any new programs or proposals or discrepancies should be submitted before the Governing Board Commission and then their conclusion should be submitted to me for the final approval. In other words I am requesting you as my senior men not to tax my brain with so many details but simply come to a conclusion amongst yourselves and then present this final conclusion for my sanction. In this way I will be free to concentrate on my translation of Srimad-Bhagavatam. I have the information of a few cases of illicit sex in our society but this is not an overall thing. And whether it is or not, the only cure is Hari Nama. You simply be engaged in chanting all day and serving Krishna and any time there is no service, simply chant Hare Krishna. Then there is no chance for illicit sex. As far as studying my books is concerned, I have already given the order. One hour in the morning class and one hour in the evening and if there is extra time during the day it may be used for studying but we cannot expect everyone to be studious. If someone has desired to distribute books all day he may do this, but he must always follow the principles of rising early, chanting 16 rounds, etc. Just as some rich men have no inclination for studying, but still he opens many schools for others to study at. Like this, all of my students may not be inclined to study but they are very much eager to give others the opportunity to read my books and this should not be discouraged. All programs must go on but it is a fact that this book distribution program is very very important. It is real preaching work but I think this program for T.V. and radio is not so important. There are so many T.V. programs. Someone will see us on T.V. and then right after they will see some other nonsense and they will forget. Therefore it is better for them to read my books but I think your proposal for seriously organizing the college programs is first class. If this program is conducted in the proper fashion it can be our biggest book distribution outlet, I am convinced of this. You are advanced devotee and you should use your intelligence to convince the professors that they should use my books in the colleges. This will be the greatest service. Regarding your question about taking Gaura-Nitai Deities with you on travelling Kirtana, this is not so important. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring India He did not bring His Deity with Him. But if you can make proper arrangement then you may take them, but if you say you have no Brahmins then I think for the time being you may postpone this program. I will be returning to Calcutta from my preaching tour in Australasia by the 2nd. of March and therefore I am requesting that you come to Calcutta no later than this date in order to travel with me and be my secretary for one month. If there is any difficulty in this would you please write to me at Auckland, New Zealand for I will be arriving there on the 19th of February. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. I am in due receipt of your most recent letter and I can see if the T.V. agrees to endorse our books and show them on T.V., this is a good program and it must be continued. Labels: book distribution, deities, GBC, itinerary, sex life, study, women letters | 06:12 |9 January 2007 9 January, 1973 Bombay My dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. Your letter dated December 28, 1972, is in hand and I have noted the contents carefully. According to our Vedic process, polygamy is allowed. For example, Krsna married 16,000 wives, Arjuna married 3 or 4 wives, Krsna's father Vasudeva, married 16 or 18 wives, like that. So according to the Vedic system polygamy is not prohibited. But it is not a farce also. Every wife must be provided for sufficiently. Krsna married 16,000 wives, but each wife was provided a palace and He was personally present at each palace. It does not mean to marry many wives and maintain none of them. If anyone is able to keep more than one wife and give them all comforts of life, there is no objection for having more than one wife. But if he creates trouble by marrying, he should not marry even one wife, this is my judgment. Now you can do the needful, taking into consideration the circumstances of the laws of your country, the customs of your people, the reputation of our society, the example which will be set for future devotees to follow, like that. For karmis, the Vedic system of marriage was given by Krsna so they may come gradually to the point of becoming devotees. But for devotees, it is advised to minimize sex life to the point of nil. So if that cannot be done, then there is regulation of sex life by marriage. Actually the system of polygamy is natural because the human entity is meant for transcending the animal forms of life and going back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore there should remain a class of men who do not marry in the society. But that will create an unfavorable situation of excessive population of unmarried women. Therefore it is advised that all women get themselves married, and if there is any man who is better able to maintain wife and family, he is advised to marry as many women as he can maintain and thereby free other men in the society to remain brahmacari. So I can understand that many men of our society have got themselves married only for some disastrous result. That means that not all of our men are meant for married life, but because there are so many women we may not leave them unprotected without husband, that will also not serve us well. Therefore it will be the best idea if those who are well-qualified as husbands to keep more than one wife very much satisfied in every respect, if such men can marry more than once. That will free the others to remain brahmacari. But you must consider very carefully the possibility of becoming scandalized in the public for breaking their laws in this way. And in future also the devotees who are neophyte may not understand our policy in this connection, and we gradually could wind up attracting only a class of men who are very eager for unlimited sex life only. These things must be avoided at all cost. Enclosed please find also the letter-proposal from Syamasundara as suggested by me to relieve me from these decisions regarding husband and wife. Kindly distribute this proposal to all the 12 GBC men in the world. They may write to me their views on the point and give their yes or no answer to the proposal. A few days back Rsi Kumar has come to see me from South Africa and he has handed over to me the sum of $700 in cash. This amount was reserved to pay you for the book sales for December month for South Africa, and it was to be deposited in the BBF there with you. Instead I requested him to give to me here and I am depositing in my BBF here in India. So kindly credit this amount to Rsi Kumar and debit his bill for the amount of $700. Enclosed find also the copy of one letter which I recently sent to Rsi Kumar, wherein I have approved his request to get 15% discount on books sent to South Africa. Because it is a new field and there is more than 15% of import duty and shipping cost, it will be difficult if he has to pay the full amount. Therefore you may credit his account the $700 plus 15% of the total amount which is due to you to date. Very soon Rsi Kumar and Yasodanandana and Gurukrpa will return to South Africa to arrange the program for me to come there after leaving India some time in April. Meanwhile by 1st February I have received the tickets to go to Australia and other places from Madhudvisa. But I shall be returning by March 1st to Mayapur. I have received your description of the books sold during three-day Christmas period, and I am very much pleased upon all of the nice boys and girls who have helped me in this way. I could never have thought it was possible to distribute so many of our literatures. Therefore I can understand it is simply Krsna's blessing us for your sincerely working on His behalf. Actually, that is the secret of my success, not that personally I have done anything wonderful, but that because those who are helping me are sincere, they have done the work, that is the reason for our success all over the world where others have failed. A little sincerity is very difficult thing in this age of hypocrisy and bluff, but I am so fortunate that Krsna has sent me all of you nice boys and girls who are sincerely working. Please convey to all of them my deepest appreciation. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda N.B. So far the opinion of that lawyer is concerned, you may take the opinion of several others who are knowledgeable in these matters before making any decisions. A.C.B.S. Labels: book distribution, marriage, publishing, sex life letters | 09:46 |9 January, 1973 Bombay My dear Cyavana, Please accept my blessings. Your letter dated January 3, 1973, is in hand and I have noted the contents with much encouragement. Your plan for rotating the chief man at Nairobi Center is nice, provided the sense of authority and continuity is not weakened by so much switching of head men. As long as you are recognized to be the leader of Nairobi Center with full authority in all matters, that is the point. This constantly changing the head man and whimsically dividing the attention is not good. Someone must be there who will stick tightly to the temple and develop it gradually to the highest standard. So far getting new place, that Sarat Building is nice but we have already purchased our other building for Shs. 200,000. But if we can sell that place to buy the Sarat Building, then it is all right. Whatever is agreed upon between yourself and Brahmananda, I have no objection. Your program for mass wholesale distribution of our propaganda, especially books, throughout Africa, is very much appreciated by me. That is the highest type of activity of human form of life, to distribute Krsna's message profusely as far as it is possible for me to do. So far Harikrpa marrying that African girl, although the father has told you he has no objection, still, there must be something in writing. And if Brahmananda also agrees, then you may perform the ceremony nicely in our temple. The term for G. N. Shah's loan is two years, so how he can expect us to pay within one year? This business with Mr. Shah and Damji Devji has been dragging on for years together, now you settle it yourself the best you are able, I do not like to be consulted continuously about the same thing. But he has given the loan for two years, is that in written agreement? If there is written agreement, then how he can expect? At any rate, try to pacify him by paying him something gradually each month, and in that way you must fulfill the terms of your original agreement, by paying him off in two years time. Regarding the daughters of Sarna, they must be engaged in some service. They may chant, read books, make life members by visiting the ladies of Nairobi, like that, but some service must be there, otherwise sex will come out. Two things are there, Krsna and maya. This sex idea is maya, therefore there must be Krsna's service or there will be another scandal as before. It is nice the girls are coming to the temple, but unless you engage them in some way of serving Krsna, there will be again trouble. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda N.B. Your letter dated January 4, 1973, is just now received by me. Yes, we shall be happy to come that side while leaving India sometimes I think in April, and when we come there we shall install the Deities, after consulting with Brahmananda whether you will be able to maintain them properly. You may request Brahmananda to send me his opinion in the matter also. But I think we can install if you both agree. So I am sending Rsi Kumar, Yasodanandana Swami and Gurukrpa Swami from Bombay to Nairobi very soon, they shall reach there by ship, and they will remain with you for the month of February to help you prepare everything and enhance the preaching work amongst the Africans population. By March they may be freed for going to South Africa to arrange things there for my coming there also, after I leave Nairobi. You all big leaders make these arrangements however you think best, by your mutual consultation. But one thing is, you should send the three plane fare-tickets from India, I think we shall be at Delhi at that time, to Nairobi, and then from Nairobi to Johannesburg and other places, for three men including myself. Rsi Kumar has told me they would pay for some portion of the tickets in South Africa. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: management, marriage, sex life letters | 09:45 |4 January 2007 4 January, 1973 Bombay My dear Madhukara, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 22, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. For these questions arising between married husband and wife, you are requesting me to leave your wife and take the vanaprastha order of life, for these questions you must consult with and take permission from presidents and GBC. Yes, I know your wife Lilasakti, and I know that she is very serious and advanced disciple. But now you are married to her, there is some obligation according to our Krsna consciousness or Vedic system. These things cannot be taken so lightly, otherwise the whole thing will become a farce. Simply get married without considering what is the serious nature of married life, then if there is little disturbance, or if I do not like my wife or my husband, let me go away, everyone else is doing like that. So in this way the whole thing is becoming a farce. You say that your "association together was hindering your advancement." But Krsna consciousness marriage system should not be taken in that way, that if there is any botheration that means something is hindering my spiritual progress, no. Once it is adopted, the grhastha life, even it may be troublesome at times, it must be fulfilled as my occupational duty. Of course, it is better to remain unmarried, celibate. But so many women are coming, we cannot reject them. If someone comes to Krsna it is our duty to give them protection. Krsna has informed us in Bhagavad-gita that even women and sudras and others inferior class of men can take refuge in Him. So the problem is there, the women must have a husband to give protection. Of course, if the women can remain unmarried, and if there is suitable arrangement for the temple to protect them, just like in the Christian Church there is nunnery for systematic program of engaging the ladies and protecting them, that is also nice. But if there is sex desire, how to control it? Women are normally very lusty, more lusty than men, and they are weaker sex, it is difficult for them to make spiritual advancement without the help of husband. For so many reasons, our women must have husband. That's all right, but if once they have got a husband he goes away so quickly, that will not be very much happy for them. Now I do not know the situation in your particular case, I am simply giving you the general policy or background understanding. We should never think of our so-called advancement as being conditioned by or dependent upon some set of material circumstances such as marriage, vanaprastha, or this or that. Mature understanding of Krsna consciousness means that whatever condition of life I am in at present, that is Krsna's special mercy upon me, therefore let me take advantage in the best way possible to spread this Krsna consciousness movement and conduct my spiritual master's mission. If I consider my own personal progress or happiness or any other thing personal, that is material consideration. If there was unhappy adjustment for becoming married, why you got married at all? Whatever is done, is done, that is a fact, but I am only pointing out that once before you did something without proper study of your real responsibility, now you are contemplating again some drastic action in a similar manner. Therefore consider it carefully in this light. There is one verse from Bhagavad-gita: yasman nodvijate loko lokan nodvijate ca yah/harsamarsa-bhayodvegair mukto yah sa ca me priyah, "He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me." (12.15) One mistake of judgment often made by the neophyte devotees is that any time there is some disturbance or some difficulty they are considering that the conditions or the external circumstances under which the difficulty took place are the cause of the difficulty itself. That is not the fact. In this material world there is always some difficulty, no matter in this situation or that situation. Therefore simply by changing my status of occupation or my status of life, that will not help anything. Because the real fact is that if there is any difficulty with others, that is my lack of Krsna consciousness, not theirs. Is this clear? Krsna says that His dearest devotee is one who does not put others into difficulty, in fact, who puts no one other into difficulty. So try to judge the matter on these points, whether or not you are putting either your wife or yourself into some difficulty. The right understanding of Bhagavad-gita is Arjuna's understanding. In other words, Arjuna came to the conclusion that he must perform his occupational duty, not as a material obligation, for reasons of wife, family, friends, reputation, professional integrity, like that--no. Rather he must conduct the functions of his station of life only as a devotional service performed for Krsna. That means that devotional service is what is important, not my occupational duty. But it does not mean that because occupation duty is not the real consideration, that I should give it up and do something else, thinking that devotional service may be carried on under whatever circumstances which I may whimsically decide. Krsna recommended Arjuna to remain as he was, not to disrupt the order of society and go against his own nature just for convenience sake. Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another. Rather our devotion is the important factor, so what does it matter what I am doing so long my work and energy are completely devoted to Krsna? Just like Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has no work, neither He has anything to do, still He comes here to teach us this lesson. He accepts not only His occupational duty as cowherd boy, royal prince, but also He accepts married life, He enters politics, He is philosopher, He is even chariot driver during a great battle, He does not give example of Himself avoiding His occupational duty. So if Krsna Himself is exhibiting by His own conduct what is the perfection of existence, then we should heed such example if we are intelligent. Even supposing there is wife at home, with children, that does not matter, that is no hindrance to our spiritual life. And once we have accepted these things, occupational duties, we should not lightly give them up. That is the point. Of course, our occupational duty is as preachers of Krsna consciousness. So we must stick to that business under all circumstances, that is the main thing. Therefore married, unmarried, divorced, whatever condition of life, my preaching mission does not depend on these things. The varnasrama-dharma system is scientifically arranged by Krsna to provide facility for delivering the fallen souls back to home, back to Godhead. And if we make a mockery of this system by whimsically disrupting the order, that we must consider. That will not be a very good example if so many young boys and girls so casually become married and then go away from each other, and the wife is little unhappy, the husband is neglecting her in so many ways, like that. If we set this example, then how the thing will go on properly? Householder life means wife, children, home, these things are understood by everyone, why our devotees have taken it as something different? They simply have some sex desire, get themselves married, and when the mater does not fulfill their expectations, immediately there is separation--these things are just like material activities, prostitution. The wife is left without husband, and sometimes there is child to be raised, in so many ways the proposition that you, and some others also, are making becomes distasteful. We cannot expect that our temples will become places of shelter for so many widows and rejected wives, that will be a great burden and we shall become the laughingstock in the society. There will be unwanted progeny also. And there will be illicit sex life, that we are seeing already. And being the weaker sex, women require to have a husband who is strong in Krsna consciousness so that they may take advantage and make progress by sticking tightly to his feet. If their husband goes away from them, what will they do? So many instances are already there in our Society, so many frustrated girls and boys. So I have introduced this marriage system in your Western countries because there is custom of freely intermingling male and female. Therefore marriage required just to engage the boys and girls in devotional service, never mind distinction of living status. But our marriage system is little different than in your country, we do not sanction the policy of quick divorce. We are supposed to take husband or wife as eternal companion or assistant in Krsna consciousness service, and there is promise never to separate. Of course if there is any instance of very advanced disciples, married couple, and they have agreed that the husband shall now take sannyasa or renounced order of life, being mutually very happy by that arrangement, then there is ground for such separation. But even in those cases there is no question of separation, the husband, even he is sannyasa, he must be certain his wife will be taken care of nicely and protected in his absence. Now so many cases are there of unhappiness by the wife who has bee abandoned by her husband against her wishes. So how can I sanction such thing? I want to avoid setting any bad example for future generations, therefore I am so much cautiously considering your request. But if it becomes so easy for me to get married and then leave my wife, under excuse of married life being an impediment to my own spiritual progress, that will not be very good at all. That is misunderstanding of what is advancement in spiritual life. Occupational duty must be there, either this one or that one, but once I am engaged in something occupational duty, then I should not change that or give it up, that is the worst mistake. Devotional service is not bound up by such designations. Therefore once I have chosen, it is better to stick in that way and develop my devotional attitude into full-blown love of Godhead. That is Arjuna's understanding. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: marriage, sex life, women letters | 09:28 | |
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