Wednesday, April 30, 2008
1970 April 29 : “You must always ask the Lord’s grace to make you in the right position. For the Lord’s service we can ask for His grace and mercy a hundred times, but for our sense gratification we cannot pray or ask anything - that is pure devotion.”
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
JOURNAL: Thursday 3 February
N.Y.
Today there was a very nice demonstration of tape-record Samkirtan by me.
It is all Grace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Haridas Thakur said that the transcendental sound of Hari Nama would even purify the heart of birds and beasts. Today this statement of Thakur Haridas is corroborated. These American can not understand even a word’s meaning of the Sankirtan and yet they were so much attracted? It is all Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s power; there is no credit for me.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, 31 December, 1972
Bombay
My dear Gurudasa and Yamuna,
If you can construct nice temple in Vrndaban for me in this way, I shall be eternally grateful. Because we are world wide movement of Krsna, and if we do not have any nice place at Vrndaban, then what will be the use? Vrndaban is Krsna’s land, and in future so many of our disciples will go there just to see, along with many tourists and other friends, so therefore we must have sufficient place for them. That will be our great contribution.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
31 December, 1972
Bombay
My dear Dhananjaya,
Of course, the devotee is always very liberal-minded and tolerant towards everyone, seeing everyone as the part and parcel of Krsna and the pure devotee of Krsna, only seeing that due to maya they have temporarily forgotten their real position. So a devotee is always very understanding if there is some discrepancy behavior on the part of nondevotees, and even some devotees misbehave, he is always very tolerant and understanding.
The point is that no one is actually qualified in this material world to approach Krsna, but if he makes the attempt through our inducing him gradually to give his energy to Krsna, by that attempt Krsna will extend his mercy and deliver the fallen soul despite his so many disqualifications. And such person or aspiring devotee, he is to be considered the most exalted of men because he has given his life to Krsna.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Saturday, December 16, 1967
San Francisco, Calif.
When I left your country on the 22nd of July, I had very little hope to come back again. But Krishna informed me that I’m not going to die immediately; therefore, I have come back again to get inspiration of Krishna Consciousness from you all good souls. Although officially I am your Spiritual Master, I consider you all students as my Spiritual Master because your love for Krishna and service for Krishna teach me how to become a sincere Krishna Conscious person.
Friday, April 25, 2008
December 29, 1967
San Francisco, Calif.
My Dear Jadurani,
Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of Dec. 23(?), 1967, and I am glad to hear you are doing so nicely in Krishna Consciousness.
Regarding your questions: This incidence is in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhismadeva, when he was lying on his arrow bed before passing away, Lord Krishna, accompanied with the Pandavas, came to see him. Ordinarily, Bhismadeva was worshipper of Lord Visnu, but he knew also that Krishna is the same Lord Visnu.
When Krishna came to see Bhismadeva on his death bed, Bhismadeva remembered Krishna in His fighting feature at the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Bhismadeva wanted to see Krishna angry, he knew that Krishna was very kind upon him, but to make a front he displayed a chivalrous mood, pretending to kill Arjuna, although he knew it very well that no power in the world could kill Arjuna while he was shielded by Krishna Himself as his charioteer. Yet he tried to agitate the mind of Krishna, but Arjuna he almost killed.
Actually, Krishna thought it that Bhismadeva was to see Him in His angry mood and supposed to be broken in His promise, to fulfill the desire of Bhismadeva He got down from the chariot and took a wheel of the chariot, going forward as if to kill Bhismadeva Bhismadeva, as soon as found Krishna in that angry mood, he gave up his fighting weapons and prepared himself for being killed by Krishna.
This attitude of Krishna pleased Bhismadeva very much, and at the time of his death he recalled back the angry feature of Krishna. He was a military man so he was pleased to see Krishna in military spirit, as much as the Gopis wanted to see Krishna as the most beautiful lover.
There is no difference between the attitude of the gopis and Bhismadeva in the matter of exchanging transcendental mellows between God and His devotee. Krishna can be loved in any feature and because he is absolute there is no difference to love Krishna as a military man or as a simple Gopi.
During the day the two sides would battle, and at night they would visit one another’s camps, just like friends, talking and eating together. Bhisma was accused of not trying hard enough to kill the Pandavas, due to affection for them. So, he said, tomorrow I will kill all five brothers, and these five special arrows I shall kill them with. For safekeeping Bhismadeva gave the five arrows to Duryodhana, who had accused Bhisma of too much affection for the Pandavas.
Formerly, Duryodhana had made promise to Arjuna that he could someday ask for some favor, so Krishna, knowing all these things, sent Arjuna to Duryodhana for asking favor of giving the arrows to Arjuna. So as the promise was made, Duryodhana gave Arjuna the arrows, that night. Next day, Bhisma knew it was Krishna who arranged all this, and so he told Duryodhana, today it will be either Arjuna or I, but one of us will die.
And so he fought very hard to kill Arjuna, but with Krishna as Protector, no one in world could kill Arjuna. Krishna’s body was pierced, here and there, all over as you like. As military man, Bhisma had no right to shoot the chariot driver, but he knew Krishna’s body is not material, and will not be harmed, so he took pleasure in piercing the body of the Lord.
Bhismadeva became so pierced with arrows that he laid down and with the arrows all standing on end, all over stuck through his body. Yes, Lord Brahma and Lord Siva came and were there in the sky with many demigods, and throwing flowers. You can consult Srimad-Bhagavatam second part.
The picture and contents of the article appearing in Harvard Crimson is very nice. Krishna has already recognized you as one of the prophets of this missionary work, and I approve this statement.
Please go on in Krishna Consciousness and I’m sure even in my absence you will be doing nicely acting as prophet.
Hope you are well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
P.S. I have received your Namakali wrapper.
Thank you very much. - ACB
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saturday, December 30, 1967
San Francisco, Calif.
My Dear Madhusudana,
Please accept my blessings. I am so happy to read your letter dated Dec. 28, 1967. And I am very concerned that due to your sincerity and service mood you have improved in Krishna Consciousness excellently. Whatever allocation of duty there may be, if we try to execute such specific duty sincerely, that alone can make us much more advanced in Krishna Consciousness.
In the Bhagavad-gita, it is stated that for the fixed up devotee there is one duty. This duty is understood through the transparent medium via media of the Spiritual Master. It is better service to Krishna and Spiritual Master in a feeling of separation; sometimes there is risk in the matter of direct service.
For example, Kirtanananda was giving me direct service by massaging, cooking for me, and so many other things; but later on by dictation of Maya, he became puffed up, so much so that he thought his Spiritual Master a common man, and was existing only on account of his service.
This mentality at once pushed him down. Of course, those who are sincere devotee, they take direct service as an opportunity, but the illusory energy is so strong that it acts on this doctrine of familiarity breeds contempt. Kirtanananda was thinking I was existing on his service, instead of realizing I was giving him opportunity to do me some service.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
My Only Request
Srila Prabhupada: Departure Address — Los Angeles, July 15, 1974
So stick to the standard; then your life is successful. It is not at all difficult. But don’t deviate. Then you are pakka. Yes. Pakka means solid. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti. If you remain solid in Krsna consciousness, the maya cannot touch you. So that is my request. So I am traveling all over the world. I am going to see how things are going in Dallas or New Vrindaban and another… So my touring is natural. I have started this movement. I want to see that it is going on nicely. So you kindly help me. Don’t deviate. That is my only request. (starts to cry) Then you will remain solid.
Sunday, December 31, 1967
San Francisco, Calif.
My Dear Rayarama,
Please accept my blessings. My joy has no bounds when I received your calendar so nicely imagined. Now I think Krishna has selected the right person for our propaganda department–Sriman Rayarama Brahmacari!
A sincere worker is always recognized by Krishna. I do not know how shall I thank you, but I am confident of my future hopes in the sincere students like you, Brahmananda and others; & now if I die I will die blissful, the work will go on.
Here, all the students, especially Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi are taking my personal care. Upendra and Uddhava they are personally cooking for me, and Mukunda is personally looking after my permanent visa.
So I see all round hopes; there is nothing to be disappointed in my service to Krishna. Let us go on with our work for Krishna for His satisfaction and for the benefit of the whole world. Thank you once more for your great service.
I have already sent the contract signed by me and given Brahmananda full power of attorney to do best as he likes.
I think if they accept our philosophy in total, we can make some compromise with Hayagriva and Kirtanananda. But they cannot interpret our philosophy in their own way.
Thanking you once more for your great service.
Hope you are well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tuesday, 29 December, 1970
Surat
My Dear Hladini devi,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very nice letter dated 28th November.
I am glad to learn that the Deities are being cared for there in Chicago so nicely by your good self. I personally gave instruction to Silavati how to care for the Deities properly when I was in Los Angeles and you were trained up by her. So I am confident that everything is going on nicely.
Proper Deity worship, with all attention to cleanliness, is of the utmost importance. If you can please the Deity by your sincere service, then your temple will flourish. To be able to personally serve the Deity is a great privilege and such a person is very fortunate indeed. So you continue in this way and Krishna will surely bless you.
Monday, April 21, 2008
31 December, 1970
Surat
My Dear Murari,
So far as your plan for opening centers is concerned, that program sounds very encouraging. But one thing you should know is that we cannot have another situation like Edinburgh. Once a temple has been opened it must never be closed. So if you are confident in this regard, then continue as planned.
Sunday, March 2, 1969
Los Angeles, Calif.
My Dear Janardana,
Leaving aside the too grossly materialistic persons, who are without any moral principles or social conventions, if we take the right type of civilized man, then we find that he is engaged in some type of religious principle. It doesn’t matter if he is Christian, Moslem or Jew, the symptom of a civilized man is that he must have the recognition of religious principles; that is required for civilized man.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
April 19, 1976, Melbourne
Bhagavad-gita 9.1
“Before this Kali-yuga Vyasadeva, he kept all Vedic literature in writing. Before that, there was no book. The knowledge was received through the ear, aural reception, sruti.”
Friday, April 18, 2008
Tuesday, April 9, 1968
San Francisco, Calif.
My Dear Mukunda,
We are trying to purchase one house here, and most probably your S.F. branch will have its own house very soon. We are not interested in having our own house, but we should always remember, why Krishna should remain in a rented house? Although everything belongs to Him, still our energy should remain employed so that we can have many temples all over the country.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
31 December, 1971
Bombay
My Dear Jadurani dasi,
Muralidhara’s version of Krishna and the cowherd boys with the Gopis watching them shown in the lotus is nice. Krishna and the cowherd boys used to return in the evening, and the Gopis while looking on used to enjoy Krishna’s smiling face. This is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
8 April, 1975
Mayapur
My dear Daruka dasa,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 3-16-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for the $150 donation.
If you follow my instructions very carefully as you promise in your letter, then your life will be perfect. I am not saying anything which is not given by my Guru Maharaja. I am simply repeating what I have learned from him.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
13 April, 1974
Bombay
Dear Bhakta das,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 27, and I have noted the contents.
There is no question of installing more than one set of Radha Krsna deities. The smaller set of Radha Krsna deities may be set on the altar at the feet of the larger ones, as you describe. But they are not installed.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Saturday, December 10, 1966
New York, New York
Janis Dambergs
311 Saint Louis Square
Montreal, 18, Quebec
Canada
My dear Janis,
I am so glad to hear that you are now married. I pray Krishna that you may live henceforward happily as a householder, without thinking of a separation from your wife. According to Vedic wisdom, a good wife is a great assistant for material and spiritual prosperity. Even if there is some deficiency, you should try to correct it without thinking in the Westernized way.
I hope your wife may be taking interest in your chanting Sankirtana and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. As she has become your life’s companion, it is your duty to induce her, peacefully, in the matter of spiritual advancement of life.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 9, 1968
San Francisco, Calif.
My Dear Satsvarupa,
Generally, as preachers, we are middle class devotees. So we should not remain as neophyte devotee. Neophyte devotee does not know how to preach. He simply goes to the temple, and offers everything with devotion to the Deity, and he doesn’t know anything else. So our devotees of the society should not remain in the neophyte position; neither should they try to imitate the topmost devotee. Best thing is to remain in the via media of middle class position, namely to love God, to make friendship with devotees, and to enlighten the innocent, and to avoid the demons.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Srila Prabhupada’s Letter to Dayananda, April 12, 1968:
“Regarding parampara system: there is nothing to wonder for big gaps. Just like we belong to the Brahma Sampradaya, so we accept it from Krishna to Brahma, Brahma to Narada, Narada to Vyasadeva, Vyasadeva to Madhva, and between Vyasadeva and Madhva there is a big gap. But it is sometimes said that Vyasadeva is still living, and Madhva was fortunate enough to meet him directly. In a similar way, we find in the Bhagavad-gita that the Gita was taught to the sungod, some millions of years ago, but Krishna has mentioned only three names in this parampara system–namely, Vivasvan, Manu, and Iksvaku; and so these gaps do not hamper from understanding the parampara system. We have to pick up the prominent acaryas, and follow from him. There are many branches also from the parampara system, and it is not possible to record all the branches and sub-branches in the disciplic succession. We have to pick up from the authority of the acharya in whatever sampradaya we belong to.”
Thursday, April 10, 2008
JOURNAL: Sunday 10 April 1966
Sun Rise 5/25 am. Sunset 6/38 pm. Moonrise 0.03 pm.
Sasthi.
Today the whole day I remained at Paul’s loft and did not go out. I paid Paul one dollar for expenses.
Today I am working on Cohen’s big Royal Typewriter and it is very good for hard working. Paul is impressed with my mission in America.
No income — Expenditure $1.00
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Sunday, April 4, 1971
Bombay
My Dear Son, Visnujana Maharaja,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 25th March, 1971 and have noted the contents. Because I have been very busy with the movement which is going on here, I haven’t had time to reply your letter until now.
As soon as I remember that you are trying to fulfill my desire of trying to open ten centers, it gives me renewed vigor and life. Please do it nicely. I have got confidence in you because Krishna has given you special talent for chanting Hare Krishna Mantra. When you were chanting in L.A. temple in the evenings, or in the mornings, I enjoyed your chanting so nicely that I thought myself immediately carried to Vaikuntha.
So I am always thankful to you for your activities in announcing the interest of our mission. Thank you very much. Most probably when I return to L.A. I may call you back just to hear your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. I am very anxious to meet you also. I am thinking of returning very soon, but I am also contemplating going to Russia. So on my way back I may go there to Russia for a few days and then to U.S.A.
Although I am Indian materially, still I have adopted U.S.A. as my fatherland and you are all my fathers. In India I had one father who raised me a Krishna Conscious child but in America I have got many fathers who are reminding me always of Krishna. Therefore I will always wish to live under your care.
It is so much encouraging that you have got a very nice temple and that already there are six students living there and following the regulative principles. Anyone who you recommend, I shall immediately initiate him. So take advantage and enchant those who are coming by your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. You will be victorious.
And try to introduce our books there and it will be a great missionary success. One Krishna book sold means we go forward one step in our Krishna Consciousness. We should always remember this.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Monday, December 8, 1969
London, England
My Dear Jaya Govinda,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 3rd, 1969.
The descriptions given by you are very pleasing and nice. Kindly keep up the standard of your temple activities by mutual cooperation, and everything will come out successful and smooth. Krishna is giving you all help, and the more you serve Him, the more help will come automatically.
You were in India, so you have seen our Godbrothers have hundreds of temples and Maths, and others also in India; everyone is nicely maintaining, depending on Krishna. Actually they have no fixed income, but as they serve the Lord, the Lord arranges everything. Therefore, our principle should be to serve nicely, and everything will be arranged by the Lord.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
So Bhagavad-gita, although containing the high philosophy of the Vedic wisdom, is for the beginners in the transcendental science, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is for graduates and postgraduates in the transcendental science. Therefore literatures like Mahabharata, the, puranas and similar other literatures which are full of the pastimes of the Lord, are all transcendental literatures, and they should be discussed with full confidence in the society of great devotees.
The difficulty is that such literatures, when discussed by professional men, appear to be mundane literature like histories or epics because there are so many historical facts and figures. It is said here, therefore, that such literatures should be discussed in the assembly of devotees. Unless they are discussed by devotees, such literatures cannot be relished by the higher class of men. So the conclusion is that the Lord is not impersonal in the ultimate issue. He is the Supreme Person, and He has His different activities. He is the leader of all living entities, and He descends at His will and by His personal energy to reclaim the fallen souls. Thus He plays exactly like the social, political or religious leaders. Because such roles ultimately culminate in the discussion of topics of the Lord, all such preliminary topics are also transcendental.
“If You Actually Feel for People”
Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.14
Los Angeles, May 31, 1972