a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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18 July 2008 Friday, 18 July, 1975 Berkeley Indianapolis, Indiana Dear Bhaktin Susan Newman: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Do not waste your time with this study of monkeys. What will you learn by this? Better to hear from Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad-gita than to waste your time in this way. Chant Hare Krishna and read our books very carefully. I am going to New Vrindaban at Janmastami, so you can come there for the celebrations. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Bhagavad-gita, reading letters | 05:40 |18 July, 1975 Berkeley My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, if you get guests there in the asrama you can easily make them Life and Patron members. For a gentleman who stays with us there is no difficulty in paying one or two thousand Rupees for this purpose. They come there to Vrindaban to spend for religious purpose their money. But, those who stay with us must be well behaved. From our side we will attend to their needs and make them comfortable, and from their side they must be clean and attend the aratis. Somehow or other they must be induced to take interest in spiritual life. Then it will be successful. You will get money and they will get spiritual profit. Both will be benefited by the grace of Krishna Balarama. Continue your prasada distribution. This is very important. Yes, make the whole place full of gardens. Especially the small separation wall between my quarters and the temple should be filled with plants and creepers where there are the holes for putting in the plants. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. You should go see Swami Bon Maharaja and ask if he has replied to my last letter to him, a copy of which is enclosed. You should take a copy of his reply and send it to me c/o Los Angeles address. ACBS Labels: bhetnama, Bon Maharaja, Vrindavan letters | 05:39 |17 July 2008 Thursday, 17 July, 1975 Berkeley Fort, Bombay-1 INDIA My Dear Brijratanji: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed please find herewith a copy of our latest issue of Back to Godhead containing the selection from Srimad-Bhagavatam as you had kindly suggested. We are making it a regular feature each month. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Bombay, Srimad Bhagavatam letters | 06:39 |17 July, 1975 Berkeley My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. So it is all right that Aksayananda Swami travels and collects provided that the management of Vrindaban does not suffer. This collecting is also preaching. But not only collection, but expenditure must also be stabilized and srutinized. Nothing should be spent extravagantly. That you have to see. Do not bother my brain how to do it. I have put you in charge how to do it. Regarding the festivals you are having at the Vrindaban temple, I suggested in my previous letter to make phool wadi of flowers. Please make this possible. Regarding the purchase of the adjoining plot, why not take the help of the D.M. regarding the negotiations. Take his permission that there will not be government enquiry so that there is nothing for the seller to risk. Explain that this man has agreed to sell, but he is now hesitating for this reason. He should help us in this matter. Yes, you can take out the Deities in a cart for Sankirtana. Yes, you can make the name Mandir and Ashram instead of Guest House. Formerly you said that you would complete the Bombay project in six months if I sent money, and now you say one year, so why is this? Syamalal Gupta is well known to me. He is an able man, and if he likes he can help us in so many ways. You can inform him that we are selling our books all over the world between 30 to 40 lakhs worth per month, but not in India are we selling because we do not have any sales organization. But, to give him the exclusive rights, they have to guarantee some minimum amount of order per month. We are selling 30-40 lakhs around the world so we shall expect at least sales in India of one lakh per month of Rupees. So on experimental stage we can make them the exclusive sales agent for six months to one year, if they can guarantee a certain reasonable amount of monthly order. If the agree to Rs. 1 lakh per month than for the first four months they must pay us Rs. 50,000/- per month and then Rs. 1 lakh per month upon delivery. Yes, you can print small books as much as possible. The paper sample you sent in your last letter is all right if it is acceptable for the Indian book market. If the sales will go on, even if the paper is inferior, then it is all right. S. Chand Co. they are able to sell 1 lakh of Rs. of our books per month. They can do this if it is organized properly. But, they should not get any commission on books we sell ourselves, nor will we sell our books at prices below that of the retail shops. For printing additional small books you can use the loan repayment from Bombay. I gave so much loans and that must be paid back. Or you can take from the $50,000.00 that was just now sent. But, money will come do not worry. Did the Oberoi-Sheraton purchase the books? The hotels must purchase the books for putting in their rooms. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Bombay, printing, Vrindavan letters | 06:38 |16 July 2008 Wednesday, 16 July, 1975 Berkeley My Dear Paramahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is a good idea to send the fiberglass shells to India for fitting and testing. You can easily pack two or three in a crate and send air mail. Your Hare Krishna pineapple program is very nice. Continue to distribute. The name is already nicely advertised and there you can easily get pineapple. Regarding the restaurant, why they should get salary? There should be no salary. You are working without salary, so why they should take. They are not very important men. So after this month arrange for no one to get any salary there. That will be nice. Regarding the farm, if by getting money from the cash crops, then do that and improve the place. Construct temple and residential quarter. Somehow or other you have to keep the men who are there engaged. If they are allowed to become idle gradually they will again become hippies. If the farm cannot be utilized, then it may be sold. What is the use of keeping a bad cow? But if you are utilizing, then we can purchase the truck to help. But, what about the idea of selling the bus and repaying me $3,000.00? What happened to that idea? I had lent $5,000.00 and that should be repaid somehow or other. Everyone I advance money to, they repay. Brahmananda Swami took Rs. 16,000/-, and he has returned, so why not you also? Anyway, if there is some potential there then keep it and go on. But, if you are able to make profit, then why not you purchase the truck? So far I have studied Siddhasvarupa, he is not a bad boy, but he has his own philosophy, from the very beginning. It is almost inevitable that there should be enviousness amongst the godbrothers, just like amongst my godbrothers. What kind of business is that which the man is giving $5,000.00 monthly profit? It is very nice that you are getting that other property. You are gradually getting men, so try to develop it. If men are required, then you can get them from the mainland. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: farm, Hawaii, loans, Siddhasvarupa letters | 09:38 |14 July 2008 Monday, 14 July, 1975 Philadelphia Sri B.D. Joshi El Cerrito, Calif. My Dear Sri Joshi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 6, 1975 and your invitation to come to your house. I thank you very much for it, and shall be please to come on July 19th. I shall be accompanied with up to six disciples. I am starting for San Francisco tomorrow and shall be staying at our new temple located at 2334 Stuart St. Berkeley, Ca. You can come and see me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: San Francisco letters | 08:35 |14 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Why are you making concessions to the tenants? There shall be no common area for the tenants to sit. Why are you doing this? This shall not be allowed. It is not in the Rent Act. This is all nonsense concessions. They should be placed in their rooms, that is all. We have to construct buildings on all the vacant lands. The common reading room is for the public and not for the tenants. You now have to make a program for building on all the vacant land. Every inch of available land will be built up. In the back side of my apartment the single story tenants should be induced to occupy temporarily the rooftop flats, and we shall construct a three or four story building where their houses are on their plot and shall then give them the same area to live in the new building. Now make this plan. Every drop of land must be filled with buildings. We cannot spare any land for any other purpose. Take sanction and make plans for these buildings. If the tenants become devotees and follow our principles, arising early like the others, then we can forgo their rent, but no nonsense concessions of sitting room. This is all rubbish things. So make plans for all vacant lands for buildings. We actually do not want anyone to live there who is not a devotee. Note this policy and do the needful. Regarding the internal road, this has to be decided in the court. How can it be a public road? We have purchased it and there never was any mention of a public road. Go to the court. If in the court they prove that the road is public, then you can agree to surrender your claim for compensation for the setback land. But, this is all Matre's program. It will be very, very, bad if this road is public road. Immediately make plans for constructing the land behind my quarters with buildings. Regarding finances do not worry. Whatever is required, Krishna will send. Don't be bothered. Ramesvara has now transferred $50,000.00 to Bank of America. Yasomatinandana is reporting that the publications are coming just now, but this has been going on for 300 years. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Bombay, construction, land, management letters | 08:34 |14 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated July 4, 6, & 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding Vrindaban, yes purchase immediately that land at Rs. 20/-. I have already advised the bank to issue one letter of credit for up to Rs. one lakh. If the cost is more, then we shall pay. Atul Krishna Goswami has given a good certificate. Yes, everybody says like that, that I am incarnation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Actually Krishna and Krishna's representative are not different. Anything that is Krishna's is not different from Krishna. Therefore it is said saksadharitvena 'samasta sastrair. The spiritual master is accepted by all advanced devotees as Hari. Regarding Narottamananda das, no he cannot marry a second wife. If he wants to do so, he can leave our temples. We will not support him and his wives. I have written to him separately in this matter. Yes, you can use BBT payments from the temples for printing the books. I paid Giriraja three lakhs from the Book Fund and Gargamuni was also given money from the Book Fund. Besides this there are the regular collections, so use this money. The paper sample you have sent is not at all good. It is third class. If good paper is not available then we shall not print. If the printer is getting import license to import books for selling, why we are not getting? What have we done that we are not getting this license? Why are we prohibited from selling our books, and the others can do it? How are they paying for the books? Are they sending out foreign exchange as payment? The best thing will be for them to get import license to import paper. We shall supply them the paper. But this paper you have sent is not approved. It is not even half as good as the paper supplied from Japan. Who is writing complaints? I have not received any complaints about your management. I have no objection to Bhurijana going to Hong Kong and Pancadravida Swami going to South America. That is nice if you can arrange it. Regarding Bhagavata das, I received report that he was talking privately in his room with a woman, and if anybody would try to come in, then he would get angry, saying get out, get out. What is this? In India private talks with woman are immediately condemned. He is a good preacher, but it is very dangerous to close the door with woman, and then he becomes angry if anybody comes. Lust is so strong that if it is obstructed it turns into anger. Brahmananda Swami and Bhavananda Swami also confirm that he has this tendency. All women should be sent from Calcutta to Mayapur. No women should be in Calcutta. Woman is good and man is good, but if you combine them, then both become bad, unless there is regulation. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Bombay, lust, management letters | 08:34 |14 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 25, 1975 and have noted the contents. The Gurukula and poor feeding programs should be developed and it will make us very popular. The wrestling is all right. The program for Nitai Cand to visit the villages and preach and make men join is very good. Make everything green there. Why not install your American sprinkler system? I have seen in Denver a very nice arrangement in the park for watering the grounds. You have got your own pumping water, so it will be easy for you. There you have got enough water. Move the dirt from the pukur. It is not nice. I have sent to Bhavananda Maharaja the photos of how it should be done. It may be cleared and the dirt put along the sides where we shall make rooms at a high level for the flooding. The lake water should be clear. What is a charan on the front gate? I have asked Jayatirtha that Ranadhira may immediately go to Mayapur. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: management, Mayapur letters | 08:33 |13 July 2008 Sunday, 13 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Mahavir Prasad Jaipuriaji: Please accept my blessings. Last time we opened our Vrindaban temple under the leadership of the Governor of U.P. Dr. Channa Reddi. I expected your presence also. Perhaps you could not attend due to prior engagement. So this Vrindaban temple is being visited by many devotees to the extent of 500-1000 per day, and we have got a very nice guest house. I request you to come there at your convenience and see how it is nicely done especially for the retired gentlemen, vanaprastha. You are Jaipuria, so you can help me in completing such an institution in Jaipur also. Jaipur is visited by many Vaisnavas as a holy place of pilgrimage. Especially Gaudiya Vaisnavas go there to see the duplicate Vrindaban Deities such as Govindaji, Radha Damodaraji, etc. So I want to open a duplicate Krishna Balarama temple in Jaipur. I am sending separately copies of pictures of our Krishna Balarama temple in Vrindaban. Of course there is also Radha Krishna and Gaura Nitai. I wish that you have some land in Jaipur and to help us in constructing a duplicate temple like Vrindaban. When I was a guest in your house I saw you a great devotee of the Lord, and I hope you will try to fulfill my request as abovementioned. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Jaipur, Krishna Balarama, New Delhi letters | 08:32 |13 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Pannalal Bansilalji: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 19th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am advising my Bombay center with a copy of this letter to send you the latest amended copy of the Rules of the Society. It is not yet settled up as to those who will be the Trustees. When I return to India, I shall send you the list. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs cc: Giriraja das, Bombay Labels: Hyderabad, trustee board letters | 08:28 |13 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated June 21st and June 29th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your printing in Hindi in Mathura is a good idea. Do it in consultation with Gopala Krishna Prabhu. So you send me the translation and after seeing it, I shall approve. Regarding the land, you purchase immediately. I have already advised the bank. Regarding Nitai, he is now travelling with me for some immediate editing work. Afterwards you can consult with Ramesvara what will be his program. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. Please send our latest Vrindaban Temple pictures at the following address. Sri Mahabir Prasad Jaipuria 8, Prithviraj Road, New Delhi--110011. ACBS/bs Labels: land, printing, Vrindavan letters | 08:27 |13 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Narottamananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 4, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your taking a second wife, you cannot do this. At least you cannot stay in our temple in Vrindaban. If you want to take a second wife, then you have to leave our Vrindaban temple. Whether you can maintain them and take some job and earn? Our temples cannot support you and your two wives. You will then want three, four, and more. Anyway as an American it is illegal for you to do this. We are trying to minimize sex and you are trying to increase it. Please give up this idea. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: marriage, polygamy, Vrindavan letters | 08:27 |13 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Tejiyas das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 1, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is nice that Mr. Agarwal wants to construct a temple for us in Meerut. It is a good, big city. Regarding the Jaipur land, yes it is situated in an important place, a good locality although a little deserted. If Mr. Jaipuria gives the land and builds the temple, we can take it. Many pilgrims go there. I am enclosing a copy of my letter to him. It is a very good suggestion to open the vanaprastha institute. The elderly people can live there according to the Vaisnava principles and worship the Deity and take prasada. I also want to open the Varna Ashrama College there as there is sufficient land. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. You should check with the authorities that we can get an import license for importing printing paper in an equivalent amount to all the foreign exchange we have sent to India. We can print the books there, and many will be exported to Africa, U.K., Fiji, etc. ACBS/bs Labels: New Delhi, Varnashrama College letters | 08:26 | |
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