DISAGREEMENTS

DISAGREEMENTS

73-10-18 Letter: Kirtanananda
MATERIAL NATURE MEANS DISSENSION AND DISAGREEMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS KALI YUGA. BUT, FOR THIS KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT ITS SUCCESS WILL DEPEND ON AGREEMENT, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE VARIETIES OF ENGAGEMENTS. . IN THE MATERIAL WORLD THERE ARE VARIETIES, BUT THERE IS NO AGREEMENT. IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD THERE ARE VARIETIES, BUT THERE IS AGREEMENT. THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE. THE MATERIALIST WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ADJUST THE VARIETIES AND THE DISAGREEMENTS MAKES EVERYTHING ZERO. THEY CANNOT COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH VARIETIES, BUT IF WE KEEP KRSNA IN THE CENTER, THEN THERE WILL BE AGREEMENT IN VARIETIES. THIS IS CALLED UNITY IN DIVERSITY. I am therefore suggesting that all our men meet in Mayapur every year during the birth anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. WITH ALL GBC AND SENIOR MEN PRESENT WE SHOULD DISCUSS HOW TO MAKE UNITY IN DIVERSITY. BUT, IF WE FIGHT ON ACCOUNT OF DIVERSITY, THEN IT IS SIMPLY THE MATERIAL PLATFORM. PLEASE TRY TO MAINTAIN THE PHILOSOPHY OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY. THAT WILL MAKE OUR MOVEMENT SUCCESSFUL. ONE SECTION OF MEN HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT, THEREFORE WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN UNITY IN DIVERSITY, AND REMEMBER THE STORY IN AESOP’S FABLES OF THE FATHER OF MANY CHILDREN WITH THE BUNDLE OF STICKS. WHEN THE FATHER ASKED HIS CHILDREN TO BREAK THE BUNDLE OF STICKS WRAPPED IN A BAG, NONE OF THEM COULD DO IT. BUT, WHEN THEY REMOVED THE STICKS FROM THE BAG, AND TRIED ONE BY ONE, THE STICKS WERE EASILY BROKEN. SO THIS IS THE STRENGTH IN UNITY. IF WE ARE BUNCHED UP, WE CAN NEVER BE BROKEN, BUT WHEN DIVIDED, THEN WE CAN BECOME BROKEN VERY EASILY.

68-05-30 Letter: Umapati
Please accept my blessings. A few days ago I received a nice letter from you in which you wrote nice things, and I was so glad that now you are making progress positively towards Krishna Consciousness. It is understood that Aniruddha and yourself are sometimes not in agreement in subjects concerning Krishna Consciousness. OF COURSE, DISAGREEMENTS MAY BE THERE, BUT THERE SHOULD NOT BE DISSENSION. I SHALL BE GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT IS THE POINT OF DISSENSION, AND IF IT ISN’T VERY SERIOUS, I THINK YOU SHOULD ASK ANIRUDDHA NOT TO BE AFFECTED BY SUCH FLIMSY DISAGREEMENT.

69-01-21. Letter: Gurudasa, Yamuna
I have received report from Mr. Parikh and others that they are enamored by your behavior, your character, and your devotion. In the newspaper cuttings also they gave such hints. In other words, everyone is appreciating your presentation. Please keep up this standard of behavior. Do not make any artificial discrepancies amongst yourselves because you are acting on a very responsible business. Perhaps you know that there are many political parties in a country, but when the country’s total responsibility has to be executed, they become combined. TO HAVE SOME LITTLE DISAGREEMENTS AMONGST YOURSELVES IS NOT VERY UNNATURAL BECAUSE WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUAL BEINGS. BUT AS WE ARE ALL WORKING ON BEHALF OF KRISHNA WE SHOULD ALWAYS FORGET OUR PERSONAL INTERESTS AND SEE TO THE PRIME CAUSE.

69-01-23 Letter: Aniruddha
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 22, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I CAN UNDERSTAND FROM YOUR LETTER THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISAGREEMENTS OR MISUNDERSTANDINGS IN THE TEMPLE, BUT I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT ALL SUCH DISTURBANCES MUST BE SOLVED PEACEFULLY AND WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE ENTIRE SITUATION. CIDANANDA IS THE PRESIDENT THERE, AND I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND RIGHTLY THAT EVERYONE MUST COOPERATE WITH HIM IN KEEPING THE TEMPLE NICELY AND WITHOUT ANY UNNECESSARY TENSIONS.

69-03-23 Letter: Dayala Nitai
Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your very nice letter of March 19th, and I can understand how you are feeling. Yes, you must fix up in your mind to spread this message to the French population with our BTG and other books, that is my request. I thank you for sending me the second copy of BTG French edition. So now my only request to you, and especially both to you and Janardana, that you kindly regularly publish one issue every month of this French BTG. That will make you very much happy and will make me always very much happy. And Krishna will bestow all blessings to you in this endeavor. In this connection, if you think that by printing the yogi literature you will get some monetary help, then I give you permission that you can print it. But my standing request is this: Amongst yourselves there should not be any disagreement. WHATEVER YOU DO, YOU DO IT BY JOINT CONSULTATION. Because our center of activities is Krishna, for Krishna’s sake we can sacrifice our life, wealth, words, intelligence, everything. OF COURSE, AS INDIVIDUALS, WE HAVE SOMETIMES DISAGREEMENTS, BUT THAT SHOULD BE ADJUSTED KEEPING OUR CENTRAL ATTENTION TO KRISHNA. SO WHAT IS DONE IS DONE; HENCE FORWARD, YOU DO EVERYTHING JOINTLY AND WE SHALL PUT OUT AT LEAST ONE ISSUE OF BTG FRENCH EDITION EVERY MONTH–EVEN IT MAY CONSIST OF ONE PRINTED PAGE ONLY, STILL IT MUST BE PUBLISHED ONCE MONTHLY. THAT IS MY DESIRE.

69-11-26. Letter: Gopala Krsna
Regarding your citizenship in Canada, I agree with this proposal because the service which you are now occupied in is very good service and your bosses have recognized your activities. So gradually it may be that you will improve more and more. But I know that this Pepsi Cola Company attempted their business in India and it was not very successful. Otherwise I would have asked you to transfer yourself in the same service in India. Regarding your marriage, that is my open opinion that if anyone can remain a brahmacari all the time, without being disturbed by sex urge or who can tolerate such urges, there is not any need for him to marry and take some extra responsibilities. But one who is disturbed in mind, he must get himself married. Therefore, it has to be decided by oneself if he should marry or not marry. It is a fact however that if one is thoroughly engaged in Krishna’s service, this sex urge does not have much disturbance. But you have got to work outside with karmis and different types of people. Under the circumstances, if you have a good wife to help you, that will be very nice. Another difficulty is that in modern civilization everyone is independent spirited. The girls are no longer very much humble and submissive to their husbands. So you must be prepared to tolerate such whims of your future wife. ACCORDING TO OUR VEDIC CIVILIZATION, DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE IS NOT TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY. BUT THE MODERN AGE ALLOWS DIVORCE EVEN, EITHER BY THE HUSBAND OR BY THE WIFE. THESE THINGS ARE NOT GOOD. BUT AFTER MARRYING, CERTAINLY THERE WILL BE SOME DISAGREEMENT OR MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE. So consider all these points, and you can decide yourself. But if you marry, I have no objection, as I have gotten married so many boys and girls and they are living peacefully. If you marry one Canadian girl, your citizenship will be immediately made, without waiting for time. That is the law in the USA. I do not know what it is in Canada.

71-10-14. Letter: Vrinda
Our ISKCON Society married couples means that both parties fully are engaged in Krishna’s service. I have noted your several complaints against the devotees but it would be better to set the example rather than to criticize the defects of the devotees. We should always remember that we recruit members from people in general. It is not expected that every one of our members should be immediately to the standard qualification. The best thing for you is to set the example by your personal behavior and try to reform the others, not by criticizing but by friendly behavior. IF SOMETIMES THERE ARE ANY DISAGREEMENTS, WE SHOULD TRY TO FORGET SUCH INCIDENCES AND BE ALWAYS IN FRIENDSHIP WITH EACH OTHER. SO I HOPE YOU WILL IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO YOUR HUSBAND AND FORGET ALL THESE DISAGREEMENTS AND FULLY COOPERATE FOR DEVELOPING OUR BERLIN CENTER.

72-02-04. Letter: Atreya Rsi
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very nice letter of January 10, 1972, and I am very much pleased by the sentiments expressed therein. It is not so much that because there may be some faults in our godbrothers and godsisters, or because there may be some mismanagement or lack of cooperation, that this is due to being impersonalists, no. It is the nature of the living condition to always have some fault. Even in the Spiritual World there is some fault and envy–sometimes the Gopis will quarrel over Krishna’s favor, and once Krishna was so much attracted to Radharani that by mistake he tried to milk the bull instead of the cow, and sometimes when the Gopis used to put on their dress and make-up for seeing Krishna, they would be too much hasty and smear kumkum and mascara in the wrong places and their ornaments and dresses would appear as if small children had been trying to dress themselves and they were not very expert, like that. There are so many examples. But it is not the same as material fault or material envy, it is transcendental because it is all based on Krishna. Sometimes when one Gopi would serve Krishna very nicely, the others would say, Oh, she has done so nicely, now let me do better for pleasing Krishna. That is envy, but it is transcendental, without malice. So we shall not expect that anywhere there is any Utopia. Rather, that is impersonalism. People should not expect that even in the Krishna Consciousness Society there will be Utopia. Because devotees are persons, therefore there will always be some lacking–but the difference is that their lacking, because they ave given up everything to serve Krishna–money, jobs, reputation, wealth, big educations, everything–their lackings have become transcendental because, despite everything they may do, their topmost intention is to serve Krishna. “One who is engaged in devotional service, despite the most abominable action, is to be considered saintly because he is rightly situated.” The devotees of Krishna are the most exalted persons on this planet, better than kings, all of them, so we should always remember that and, like the bumblebee, always look for the nectar or the best qualities of a person. Not like the utopians, who are like the flies who always go to the open sores or find the faults in a person, and because they cannot find any utopia, or because they cannot find anyone without faults, they want to become void, merge, nothing–they think that is utopia, to become void of personality. SO IF THERE IS SOMETIMES SLIGHT DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN DEVOTEES, IT IS NOT DUE TO IMPERSONALISM, BUT IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE PERSONS, AND SUCH DISAGREEMENTS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY. The devotee is always pessimistic about the material world, but he is very optimistic about the spiritual life; so in this way, you should consider that anyone engaged in Krishna’s service is always the best person.

74-12-27. Letter: Parvati
Thank you very much for trying so hard so many times to send me milk sweets, like sandesh, etc. Unfortunately this last time they went bad on the way here, therefore they were not in offerable condition. The fact that you have offered them to me is what counts. Not so much whether I have personally eaten them or not. So thank you for your sincere efforts in pleasing me. Under all circumstances you must remain in the association of devotees. Do not let yourself fall out of this associaton. EVEN IF IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND THERE MAY BE MANY PROBLEMS OR DISAGREEMENTS STILL SIMPLY BY REMAINING IN THE ASSOCIATION OF DEVOTEES AND FOLLOW OUR REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES, CHANTING 16 ROUNDS, RISING EARLY ETC., YOU WILL BECOME PURIFIED. If you leave the associaton of devotees to follow these regulative principles will be very difficult. Therefore stay in the association of devotees and continue making nice milk preparations for the Deities. And when I come there this spring I will be glad to accept them three times a day.

75-03-14 Letter: Bhanutanya
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. You should understand that Krishna Consciousness is a purificatory process. One may not be purified immediately, but since he is on the right path for purification, one should not criticize him for some faults that he may still have. Just because some body has made some mistakes does that mean that you should give up your whole career in Krishna Consciousness? What will that accomplish? Simply more rebirth and death. THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE LEFT OUR MOVEMENT JUST ON ACCOUNT OF SOME MINOR DISAGREEMENTS SHOWS THAT YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY SERIOUS ABOUT GOING BACK TO HOME, BACK TO GODHEAD. I SUGGEST THAT YOU BECOME SERIOUS ABOUT SPIRITUAL LIFE AND TRY TO OVERLOOK THE MINOR OFFENSES OF OTHERS. YOU SHOULD KEEP YOURSELF IN THE ASSOCIATION OF DEVOTEES, CHANT AT LEAST 16 ROUNDS, READ MY BOOKS AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS VERY STRICTLY.

76-02-17. Letter: Raja Laksmi
My advise is always chant 16 rounds minimum and follow the four regulative principles. All of my disciples must agree on this point otherwise they are not my disciples. Let one live anywhere, but stick to the principles. DISAGREEMENTS WILL CONTINUE IN THIS MATERIAL WORLD. SO ONE MAY LIVE IN A SUITABLE PLACE, BUT ONE MUST FOLLOW THESE FIVE PRINCIPLES. MY DISCIPLES MUST FOLLOW THESE PRINCIPLES LIVING EITHER IN HEAVEN OR HELL.

(by Mahesh Raja)