–The Australian Society for Krishna Culture. AUSKCULTURE, operation start 1984 — ABN 65 231 425 870.

In order to spare sensitivities we may not answer this question. But when it comes to presentation of the message of Godhead, its relevance to the times and its rational formulation, Srila Pabhupada wins by far. His is a technically formulated message of self-realization, as in a science laboratory treatise or in an owner’s manual.

to be developed ….

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Bombay

22 December, 1972

72-12-22

Los Angeles

My dear Karandhara,

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Regarding your points about taxation, corporate status, etc., I have heard from Jayatirtha you want to make big plan for centralization of management, taxes, monies, corporate status, bookkeeping, credit, like that. I do not at all approve of such plan. Do not centralize anything. Each temple must remain independent and self-sufficient. That was my plan from the very beginning, why you are thinking otherwise? Once before you wanted to do something centralizing with your GBC meeting, and if I did not interfere the whole thing would have been killed. Do not think in this way of big corporation, big credits, centralization—these are all nonsense proposals. Only thing I wanted was that books printing and distribution should be centralized, therefore I appointed you and Bali Mardan to do it. Otherwise, management, everything, should be done locally by local men. Accounts must be kept, things must be in order and lawfully done, but that should be each temple’s concern, not yours. Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing but beg from you and you provide. No. Never mind there may be botheration to register each centre, take tax certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and responsibility, that is the point. I am little observing now, especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm. This spontaneous loving devotional service is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to the rules and regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds, chanting gayatri, keeping always clean—then his enthusiasm will grow more and more, and if there is also patience and determination, one day he will come to the platform of spontaneous devotion, then his life will be perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar of Devotion. So I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at once. Each centre remain independent, that’s all right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in your country, so educate them gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders.

So my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty—by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arati—our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary. They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it. That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented. There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles—Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy. So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves. Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:sda

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signed TKCO for The Krishna Conscious Observer

tkco16108@gmail.com

We have to mold our minds to Srila Prabhupada’s and / or Guru’s words and to mold Srila Prabupada’s and / or Guru’s words to our minds under the influence of the three modes of nature is utter nonsense and represents a sure recipe to veer of course.

Of course this presupposes that Srila Prabhupada words are presented to us As They Are, which is far from being 100% in the case of His Bhagavad Gita. His lectures and letters are obviously 100 % Srila Prabhjupada. And until proven otherwise, we shall assume that His small books, Srimad Bhagavatam and His Caitanya Caritamrita are safe as well.

PRESIDENT TRUMP ‘S ADVICE: “NEVER EVER GIVE UP OR QUIT AND WORK HARD.” THAT ADVICE FULLY APPLIES TO THE PROCESS OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS: “NEVER EVER GIVE UP, EVEN IF IT LOOKS HOPELESS, JUST DON’T GIVE UP, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO START AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING. THE PREVIOUS RUN WAS A LEARNING RUN WHERE YOU HAD TO LEARN ALL IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL” JAI SRILA PRABHUPADA, JAI SRI KRISHNA

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Hawaii
6 March, 1969
69-03-06

My Dear Rayarama,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Feb. 27, 1969, and I am so glad to read it. Keep your health in good condition and work very hard for Krishna. That is our motto of life. I am so glad to learn that you felt too much inconvenience in the company of the karmis in your last tour to Los Angeles. There is a verse in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu in which it is stated, the more you advance in Krishna Consciousness, the more you become disgusted with the material modes of life. When the American boys are disgusted with cigarette smokers, or listening to rock music and meaningless chattering, it means there is Krishna’s Grace. May Krishna bless you more and more, as you advance in Krishna Consciousness.
You wanted one assistant editor, and I can understand that you may feel inconvenience with Hayagriva, but would you like to have as your assistant editor, Gaurasundara? So he can help you in editing work even from such distant place. But the difficulty is that he is working here to maintain the establishment. I have advised Govinda dasi to think of this and he may write you.
Regarding Bhagavad-gita manuscript: If you have got two copies then you can send one to Janardana. Otherwise you have to send him a copy only, and keeping one copy with you. Because in future I am thinking of publishing a revised and enlarged edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You know that we have to cut short the book because the MacMillan Company wanted within 400 pages. So you know that the majority of the verses in the back portion of the book were not given purports. Therefore in our next publication we shall give purport for all the verses.* So you should keep one copy with you before you send the manuscript to Janardana.
That Rohini Kumara is assisting you in artistic abilities is very gratifying. So you are preparing for the Japanese issues. In fact, from the number when we begin our Japanese issue we shall stop advertisement altogether . . . either hippies or dhippies.
You select your articles according to your best choice but I shall recommend to publish the article of Hayagriva, “Hare Krishna Movement Exploded.” I have received suggestion from Dindayal — he is getting good response from Berkeley and he is expecting that the whole quota of 5000 may be completely sold. In Hawaii, however, they have no Back To Godheads, and receipt of them is very much delayed and sporadic. So if the shipping is closed they can be sent by air cargo. So we have to organize the transport means also. I think there is some special postal rate for 50 lb. lot. So with the assistance of Subala please do the needful and make Back To Godhead a successful Krishna Consciousness magazine.
My program is to stay here up to the end of March, but in San Francisco they also want me for a few days there. So before going to New York I may go to San Francisco from here. Of course, you think you cannot leave your office just now, but this place is very nice. I think if you could manage to come here a few days then you can directly exchange letters with Govinda dasi.
Please care for your health nicely, and convey my blessings to all the devotees there in New York.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
*As well as word to word meanings

Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Rayarama — Hawaii 6 March, 1969

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Of course we dance and chant “hard” too. And what to speak of accepting prasadam subsequently!

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Devotee: What is recreation for a Krsna conscious person?
Prabhupada: Recreation? Dancing. [laughter] Come on, dance with us. Is it not recreation? And when you get tired, take prasadam. Do you want more recreation than this? What is your answer? Is it not recreation?
Devotee: Yes. I think it is difficult for someone who comes from…
Prabhupada: Why difficult? Dancing is difficult? Chant and dance?
Devotee: It’s easier for a devotee who lives in the temple.
Prabhupada: Oh, but as you can come, anyone can come. Everyone is welcome. We don’t charge anything for this dancing. You go to ball dance and so many other dances, you pay for it. But we don’t charge. We simply…, our these students simply beg something, because we have to maintain.
We don’t charge anything. So if you simply come and dance for recreation, it is very nice. Everything is there in Krsna consciousness. We want music — there is music. We want dancing — there is dancing. You can bring nice musical instruments — you can join. We distribute nice, palatable dishes.
So practically this is a system of recreation only. [laughter] Yes. If you seriously think, you’ll find this system there is no labor at all; simply recreation. Su-sukham [Bg 9.2].
[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita in the Ninth Chapter you’ll find, su-sukham. Everything is pleasing and happy. Find out anything in our system that “This is troublesome.” Tell me practically, anyone, that “This point is very troublesome.” Just put your counterargument. Simply pleasing. It is simply recreation. That’s all. You just point out, “Swamiji, your this point is not very recreation or not…, not very…, unhappy portion.” Nothing.
People want. That is their natural. Just like the children: when they see that boys and girls are dancing, their children also dancing. Automatically. This is spontaneous. This is life. And that is our real life in the spiritual world. There is no anxiety. Simple people are dancing and chanting and eating nicely. That’s all. There is no factory, there is no labor, there is no technical institution. There is no need. These are all artificial. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat [Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12], the Vedanta says.
[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]
The…, every living entity… God is anandamaya, full of bliss and pleasure, and we are part and parcel of God, we are also the same quality. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat. So our whole process is to join the supreme anandamaya, Krsna, in His dance party. That will make us actually happy.
Here we are trying to be happy by artificial means, and we are becoming frustrated. But if you actually be situated in Krsna consciousness, simply you revive your original position, joyful, simply joyful. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat. These are the Vedanta terms. Because our nature is anandamaya. People are…, everyone is trying to find out. In this La Cienega Avenue there are so many restaurants, so many things and so many signboards. Why? They are advertising, “Come on, here is ananda, here is pleasure.” He’s advertising. We are also doing like that: “Here is ananda.”

Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 6.1 – February 13, 1969, Los Angeles

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In a letter dated April 16th to Gurudasa, Srila Prabhupada advises to distribute Back to Godhead magazine in the American “Reader’s Digest” way:

“Now, since I have come to your country, I have entrusted the matter to my beloved American boys and girls, and I wish to see that this magazine is published and distributed in the American way like “Readers Digest”, “Life” etc., published in millions and distributed all over the world. Actually the position of BTG should be more important than any mundane magazine because it contains the quintessence of human necessities.

Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Gurudasa — Los Angeles 16 April, 1970

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Finally there is a letter to Hayagriva advising to finish New Vrindavan “the American way”

20 August, 1970
6-16, 2-chome, Ohhashi
Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan

My Dear Hayagriva,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5th August, 1970.
Regarding Janmastami arrangement, it is going on nicely-that is very encouraging. We have started New Vrndavana in America and it must be finished in the American way. In Vrndavana there are so many temples, they say 5,000, or in Vrndavana every home, every cottage, is a temple. As far as possible try to develop New Vrndavana on this standard. In the coming meeting of Janmastami amongst other business you must have a resolution how to finish the development of New Vrndavana in the right sense of the term. At the same time, please make a very nice scheme to purge out the non-Vrndavana spirit that entered in our Society.

Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: Hayagriva, 20 August, 1970

The point is they are expert at publicising themselves. And as Srila Prabhupada says: : The duck who quacks the loudest gets the cookie. ” All glories to the Dubai Hare Krishna team !!!