Tuesday, 28 September, 1971: My dear Cidananda, please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 12th and 15th September, 1971 respectively and have noted the contents. I am so glad to hear how you are doing well. I am always thinking of you and praying to Krishna when you will be relieved and join us again. But in any circumstance simply go on chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and think of Krishna always.
So you should take it that your hospitalization is an opportunity of chanting Hare Krishna mantra 24 hours. After all we are not this body so bodily disorders cannot hamper our advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So long the tongue is active we can chant. Even if the tongue is not active we can think of Krishna. Someway or other if we can keep in touch with Krishna that is our success of life. Yes, taking meat was undoubtedly a great offense, so don’t do it again consciousness or unconsciously. Krishna will excuse you for whatever you have done, but don’t do it again.
Hoping this will find you in rapidly improving health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Monday, 21 September, 1970
Calcutta
Letter to Isana and Vibhavati
Lately there has been some misunderstanding amongst our devotees about our Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Particularly there has been some confusion about the relationship between the Spiritual Master and Krishna.
The Vedas say that there is a Master Krishna. This Servant Krishna is the Spiritual Master and this is the conclusion. The Spiritual Master is the Mercy Representative of the Supreme Lord and as such He is given honor as good as Krishna, but He is never identical with Krishna.
Perhaps you know the picture of Madhvacarya, one of the great Acaryas in our line, who is holding two fingers up to indicate Krishna and jiva. The impersonalists hold up one finger because their idea is that everything is one. So if we make the Spiritual Master identical with Krishna, then we will also become impersonalists.
If we say that our Spiritual Master is Krishna, then the conclusion is that if we become Spiritual Master some day, then we will also become Krishna. Please try to understand how dangerous this kind of reasoning is.
In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.
September 19, 1969
Tittenhurst
Letter to Sacisuta
I have seen what you have written about your protection by my humble self, but that is inevitable when a Spiritual Master accepts somebody as disciple. Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that He takes charge of a surrendered soul; so much so that Lord Krishna protects His devotee from all his sinful activities in the past.
Similarly, the Spiritual Master, when He accepts a disciple and the disciple surrenders unto Him, He has got the responsibility of absorbing the sinful reaction of His disciples life. This is a great responsibility of the Spiritual Master. We should therefore be very careful not to overburden our Spiritual Master by further repetition of sinful activities.
Of course, one who has entered into Krishna Consciousness cannot act deliberately anything sinful. Still, we should always be on guard against such activities. Sometimes we hear that people are going to church to confess their sinful actions for being excused, but as soon as he comes out of the church, he begins the same drama again. This is like the bathing of the elephant, who immediately throws dirt again on his body. We should not follow such examples. Lord Caitanya accepted Jagai and Madhai on condition they would not commit further sinful activities. So all our students should be careful in the matter of violating the four principles and at the same time must carry on the chanting process rigidly.
9 January, 1973
Bombay, India
Letter to Damodara
“We shall judge the thing by its result, not by its means. But at the same time, we must avoid irritating anyone or disappointing anyone later by cheating them or telling big lies which become detected. Your program for approaching their businessmen in their offices is especially liked by me. Now tax your brain to create programs for engaging the wider and wider classes of population in Krsna Consciousness.”
8 August, 1973
Bhaktivedanta Manor
My dear Satsvarupa,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and GBC report, it is very nice and I am having it copied and sent to the other GBC Members so they may follow your example.
I was not at all inconvenienced by you, on the contrary, I say that you were the best secretary and you did your work most faithfully, I appreciated it, may Krishna bless you.
Yes, before the Spiritual Master a dullheaded fool is required, an over intelligent disciple is not a very good qualification. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented himself as a dull-headed fool in front of his Spiritual Master and faithfully chanted Hare Krishna.
So now Krishna has sent you a nice bus, and you also have a good field for preaching. Chant, dance distribute books and Prasadam and everything will increase automatically.
I hope this letter finds you well.
Your ever well wisher
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Friday, 22 June, 1973
Mayapur
My dear Makhanlal,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 8 June 1973 and I have carefully studied the contents.
You have asked about whether nuclear devastation on this planet would effect the Sankirtana Movement. No, there is nothing that can stop the Sankirtana Movement because it is the will of God Himself, Lord Caitanya, that His Holy Name be heard in every town and village. Neither can the demons devastate this planet independent of the will of Krsna. Nothing happens without His sanction. If Krsna wants to kill someone no one can save Him, and if Krsna wants to save someone no one can kill him.
For our parts we should just be determined to carry out our mission against all opposition, demons, nuclear war, whatever. The whole universe is finally subject to certain annihilation by the will of Krsna, but devotional service is eternal and is the only certain way one can save himself from devastation.
We can preach all over the world that the only way to be saved from collective and individual devastation is to take to the chanting of Hare Krsna. In short, this material world is a very precarious place therefore we should always chant Hare Krsna and seek Krsna’s protection.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
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