Sunday, August 31, 2008
1969 August 30 : “Everyone should treat Godbrothers as Prabhu and nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position. Why he says his authority overrides yours. Everyone is working under my authority.”
Prabhupada Letters :: 1969
1970 June 17 : “This is parampara. I am simply an instrument in the hands of my Spiritual Master. I do not know how far I have got the capacity to carry His order, but I may say that I have a sincere desire to do it.”
Prabhupada Letters :: 1970
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
1965 August 20 : “The ship is stranded on the Arabian Sea about four miles from the coast. Today the captain arranged for Janmastami and I spoke on the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna and there was distribution of Prasadam.”
Prabhupada Journal :: 1965
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
4 August, 1975
Detroit
My Dear Madhudvisa Swami:
…
The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am in the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Excerpted from Srila Prabhupada’s own personal, hand-written letters:
“My Dear Narayana Maharaja/Sripada Narayana Maharaja,
…I have taken so much help from you, and I request that this time also you will help me in this preaching work. I will be so grateful to you. (NY 21.8.66)
Our relationship is certainly based on spontaneous love. That is why there is no chance of us forgetting one another…From the first time I saw you I have been your constant well-wisher. At the first sight of me Srila Prabhupada also saw me with such love.
…You wrote to me,”You can engage me in any preaching work in India according to my ability. I shall always be ready to do so.” So I can preach wholeheartedly by your good wishes.
…My only concern is that due to my absence from India my printing work is held up. Regarding this, if you can supervise a little, then I will have no worry. (NY, 28.9.66)
In your previous letter I came to know that you are willing to help me, but from your current letter I see that this is difficult for you now. At present there is no need to send anything.
…I was very enthusiastic to learn from your previous letter that your help will always be available, but having come to learn from your present letter that you are not well, I am discouraged. Whatever happens according to Krsna’s desire is for the best. Make me happy by replying to my letter as soon as you receive mine and give me news of Vrndavana. (NY, 19.11.66)
…I came to know that my disciple Candrasekhara from Delhi wrote you a letter. Candrasekhara sent me a copy of your reply to him. In that letter I came to know that foolish Candrasekhara had blasphemed you. Fools do not know how to honour Vaisnavas. By your greatness, please excuse him. I haven’t instructed him to do such a thing. I only told him to visit you.
Anyway, excuse his aparadha. Candrasekhara is a good man, but out of foolishness he used bad words to you. You please forgive him and me by your good qualities.
(NY, 15.12.66)
Accept my dandavats in this letter. I received your letter dated December 21st and I came to know all the news. (NY, 30.12.66)
…If in this way everything is done under your supervision I shall be very glad. I hope you will ever oblige me by helping in this way. Kindly send me my mrdanga and karatalas that are in Vrndavana. (NY, 14.4.67)
Because in all the Gaudiya Maths, I think that you are the real guru-sevaka, so I always correspond with you and I always give my full love and affection to you.
…If I was not thinking like this and putting so much trust in you, I would never have sent you my key and my money. I have so much faith and love for you. (NY, 17.5.67)
Accept my dandavats. I received your letter dated 19.5.67 and became very happy to read it.
…I always consider you as my son!
…I always have a very high opinion of you. (NY, 24.5.67)
If I obtain all of your blessings, I hope I will quickly finish my work and be able to return to Sri Vrnadavan dhama. I pray you are well. (NY, 1.7.67)
I am very pleased that you have so kindly despatched the books from Delhi.
(NY, 12.7.67)
I thank you very much once more for all the trouble you are taking for me… Let us co-operate for propagating Krsna-consciousness all over the world.
I am very happy to receive a letter in your own handwriting dated the 8th of July. I have received all of your letters and I have replied to each.
…You bless me so that I can return to Vrndavana.
…Gradually life is coming in my dead body and there are some improvements. That is why I am writing to you in my own handwriting. You are a sincere Vaisnava. Krsna will certainly listen to you. (CA, 14.7.67)
Affectionately yours/Your ever well-wisher/nivedana (I offer myself to you)/vasamvad (gratefully)/krpa parthi (I want your mercy)/ Yours,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami”
(The above are all excerpts from ‘Letters From America’, 17 remaining examples of Srila Prabhupada’s personal correspondence to Srila Narayan Maharaja, handwritten in Bengali and translated into English for the first time just two years ago).
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
1962: June 1
Vrindaban
Dear Sri Puri,
Yesterday evening I have come to Vrindaban for a flying visit and shall return to Delhi on Monday 4.6.62 to attend the Jayal meeting on Tuesday 5.6.62 morning. I am glad to see that my Thursday lectures have brought some changes in the mind of the young offenders. If the lectures are continued I am sure to turn these offenders into saintly characters.
The means which I have adopted is spiritual and it works quickly than any material means. If you give me chance to speak to all the members of the Jayal, it is quite possible for me to turn them into ideal characters.
In my next lecture on Tuesday the 5.6.62 morning, I would request you also to be present and see it personally how the transcendental medicine is acting upon them. I am just trying to make spiritual method as much practical as any other material cures with greater and persisting effect.
[PAGE MISSING]
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Saturday, December 28, 1968
Los Angeles, Calif.
My Dear ???,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 24, 1968 which was sent from the Halawa Jayal.
It is nice that you are doing preaching work there, but you should know that such practices like stealing are against the principles of Krishna Consciousness. I always want that my students should be very ideal in character and not discredit our society. Actually, one who is in Krishna Consciousness automatically develops all of the good qualities which are possessed by the demigods. So we should always try to develop in this way by becoming fully surrendered to Lord Krishna.
For Krishna we can execute any activity, but this is not free license to act whimsically. Arjuna was able to fight on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra because this was Krishna’s desire, not because it was simply his whims. So please try to remember this and Krishna will help you surely as you are sincere soul.
Friday, August 1, 2008
In India all the acaryas and their descendants later on acted only from the man’s side. Their wives were at home because that is the system from old times that women are not required to go out. But in Bhagavad-gita we find that women are also equally competent like the men in the matter of Krishna Consciousness Movement.
Please therefore carry on these missionary activities, and prove it by practical example that there is no bar for anyone in the matter of preaching work for Krishna Consciousness.