Back To Godhead

vande ‘ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams casri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivamsadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devamsri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

The man having forgotten himself as the son of Godhead, has forsaken his real constitutional nature. He has misidentified himself with everything non-godly and therefore manipulates a material existence conducted by the mind and the six instrumental senses. He is concerned only with his material coverings of gross body and the subtle mind but cannot see either himself or his so-called numerous fellowmen. This is what we mean by Nescience which is darkness. The man having designated himself with the relation of his vehicular body and the finer elements of mind and ego etc., like the motor-car driver who has identified himself wrongly with the motor-car itself, has manufactured a civilization which is self contradictory and self denial.

His so-called rationality having not gone far above the rationality of the lower animals, he laments at the death of his fellowmen or at the loss of his own things which he has never witnessed by real experience. This is what we mean by Nescience which is darkness. He slightly feels only and that after the death of his fellowmen that the body loses something that moves it just like the driver moves the motor-car, but still due to the darkness of Nescience he never concerns himself with the driver of the body but takes care superficially only for the body or the mechanical car.

In the darkness of Nescience he is fully amazed with mechanism of the gross body just like a boy who is amazed with mechanism of the motor-car, but he hardly tries to understand that without a driver any amount of astounding mechanical arrangement of the motor-car or that of the human body, it cannot move either of them even by an inch. This is what we mean by Nescience which is darkness.

The defect of the present day civilization is just like the above. This is actually the civilization of Nescience or illusion and has, therefore, civilization been turned into militarization. Every one is fully concerned with the comforts of the body and everything related with the body and no body is concerned with the Spirit that moves the body although even a boy can realise that the motor-car mechanism has little value if there is no driver of the car. This dangerous ignorance of humanity is a gross Nescience and has created a dangerous civilization in the form of militarization. This militarization which, in softer language, is nationalization, is an external barrier to come to an understanding of human relation. There is no meaning in a fight where the parties do fight only for the matter of different coloured dresses. There must be therefore an understanding of human relation without any consideration of the bodily designation or coloured dresses.

“BACK TO GODHEAD” is a feeble attempt by the undersigned under the direction of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, the celebrated founder and organiser of the Gaudiya Math activities–just to bring up a real relation of humanity with central relation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

That there is a great and urgent need of a literature like this is keenly felt by the leaders of all countries and the following statements will help much in the procedure.

Some time back a bold statement by the Metropolitan of India in the form of Moral and Spiritual Re-armament movement, was published in the Hindusthan Standard, in which the reverend Bishop declared that “INDIA GUIDED BY GOD CAN LEAD THE WORLD BACK TO SANITY.”

The President of the United States of America in a message to the Senate stated that “the underlying strength of the world consists in the moral fibre of citizens. A programme therefore of moral re-armament for the world cannot fail, to lessen the dangers of armed conflict. Such moral re-armament, to be most highly effective, must receive support on a world wide basis.”

The Ex-president of the United States of America Mr. Herbert Hoover sent a message in a citizen’s meeting in New York which included the following words. “What the world needs today is to return to sanity and moral spiritual ideals. At the present moment, nothing so concerns mankind.”

Some 236 members of the British House of Commons jointly affirmed that spiritual principles which are common heritage of all people, are more fundamental than any political or economic issue. They also strongly affirmed that there is urgent need to acknowledge the sovereign authority of God in home and nation to establish that liberty which rests on the Christian responsibility to all one’s fellowmen and to build a national life based on usefulness, unity and faith.

Sir Stafford Cripps the Lord Privy Seal of Britain in a meeting of Christians sometimes in the month of September 1942, said that the Kingdom of God would be accomplished through the Divine Power of love and he declared that “the tasks before us are, first so to conduct ourselves as individual Christian that in spite of the difficulties of our surroundings, we may work towards the establishment of the Kingdom of God throughout our country and the world and second, so to influence and change our social-economic and political environments as to encourage both ourselves and others to take to the Christian way of life.”

The horrors of the war are pinching every one and all in the world and a statement of Mr. Windel Wilkie after his return from Russia, will tell the story of all other countries in the world. He stated that “Five million Russians have been killed, wounded or missing. At least sixty million Russians are slaves in the Russian territories controlled by Hitler. Food in Russia this winter will be scarce, perhaps worse than scarce. Fuel will be little known this winter in millions of Russian homes. Clothing except for the army and for essential war workers has nearly gone. Many vital medical supplies just do not exist.”

What is true for the Russian people is also true for other people, as we Indians are feeling the same scarcity, the same want and the same disgust.

The disgust of the war is well summarized by the Foreign Secretary of Britain Mr. Anthony Eden who said that “this time we have to finish the job properly. We will not tolerate this business every twenty years. When the job is finished we must see that they cannot start it again. That is the will of the nation and the united nation.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury in his recent broadcast in London said, “In every quarter of earth men long to be delivered from the curse of War and to find in a world which has regained its peace, respite from the harshness and bitterness of the world they have known till now. But so often they want the Kingdom of Heaven without its King. The kingdom of God without God. And they cannot have it.”

“OUR RESOLVE MUST BE BACK TO GOD. We make plans for the future for peace amongst the nation and for civil security at home. That is quite right enough and it would be wrong to neglect it. But all our plans will come to ship-wreck on the rock of human selfishness unless we turn to God. BACK TO GOD, that is the chief need of England and of every nation.”

And lately Sir Francis Younghusband while speaking at World Congress of Faiths said that, “that now religion is everywhere attacked brutally, we, look to India the very home of religion for a sign.” Sir Francis pleaded that India, by her example might show the world how religion can be the most potent of all uniting forces in the conduct of human affairs.”

Sir Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan the great Hindu philosopher addressing a crowded public meeting in Calcutta recently, observed:

“At a time like this when there is poverty, malnutrition of body and mind, when many people do not know what it is to have a cooked meal, or to lie on soft bed, when millions of homes turn into homes of hunger and prisoners of poverty, religious men will have to address themselves to the task of removing them.”

“Today the world was noisier, more controversial and violent. There was more hope and more uncertainty, more aspirations and more frustration. And the years that intervened (from the last war) showed the bankruptcy of any spiritual value. The Versailles Treaty, the League of Nations, and the Disarmament Conference failed because they had not the back ground of public opinion to sustain them. This war, when it would be won, would prove to be the breeding ground of other wars if the peace was not saved. It could happen only if powerful nations ceased to take pride and glory in their possessions which were based on labour and tribute of other weaker nations. This perhaps was what Sir Harcourt Butler meant when he said that the principles of Hinduism contained the essential elements for the saving of world civilizations.”

In another meeting the same philosopher pointed out, “We have to defeat tyranny in the realm of thought and create a will for world peace. Instruments for training the mind and educating human nature should be used to develop a proper social outlook without which institutional machinery was of little use.”

These psychological movements of the leaders of all countries–combined with the orders of my Divine Master Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada has led me to venture to start a paper under the above name and style “BACK TO GODHEAD” which implies all the words that we may intend to say in this connection.

India has been politically subjugated so to say for the last one thousand years but very few have been able to exploit her spiritual resources up till now which are measured unlimited by the spiritual masters. Politically India may ask all so-called foreigners to quit the shores of India but spiritually she did never ask any body to do so nor she will do so even now. She will rather invite all the so-called foreigners to come and exploit the spiritual resources of India’s advancement and this transcendental exploitation will not only enhance the glory of India but will also enrich the glory of the whole world for unity, faith and humanity.

It may not be out of place to mention herein that His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswaty Goswami Prabhupada, just before his departure from this mortal world, wrote me a letter from Puri dated the 3rd December, 1936 directing me towards my duty in fulfilling His mission in the world for propagating the religion of Divine Love as propounded by Lord Chaitanya. In course of writing that letter, He wrote the following lines amongst other things.

“I am fully confident that you can explain in English our thoughts and arguments to the people who are not conversant with the languages of other members.”

“This will do much good to yourself as well as your audience.”
“I have every hope that you can turn yourself a very good English preacher if you serve the mission to inculcate the novel impression to the people in general and philosophers of modern age and religiosity.”

And when I was consulting my well wishers and friends who are able to help me in this great adventure, all of them encouraged me in this connection. His Grace Sripad Bhakti Saranga Goswami Moharaj the Preacher-in-charge for the Western countries appointed by His Divine Grace who has recently returned from London preaching work to his headquarter, very kindly sent his blessing from Sri Nityananda Gaudiya Math in his letter dated the 15-3-43 in the following words amongst other things:–

“I know that His Divine Grace used to admire your intelligence and it was His earnest desire that the world outside be benefitted through your writings in English.”

Under the circumstances since 1936 up to now, I was simply speculating whether I shall venture this difficult task and that without any means and capacity; but as none has discouraged me including late Prof. Nishikanto Sanyal and Spd. Vasudev Prabhu (now Puri Moharaj), I have now taken courage to take up the work. Late Prof. Sanyal used to encourage me always by publishing my articles in his “Harmonist” and sometime back he wanted to give me the charge of the paper which I could not accept due to personal considerations.

But at the present moment my conscience is dictating me to take up the work although the difficulties are not over for the present situation arising out of War conditions.

I wish that every one who is enlightened and educated of all nationality, may take active interest in this periodical publication for wide circulation as this paper will contain only the transcendental messages of the great savants of India and specially of Lord Chaitanya, the Godhead Incarnate Who descended for the deliverance of all fallen souls in the present age. My duty will be simply to repeat in the “BACK TO GODHEAD” just like an interpreter what I have heard from and what I have been ordered to deliver by my great spiritual master H.D.G. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada. Nothing will be manufactured by me by my mental concoction. Such words will descend as Sound Transcendental and when they are given proper serving reception by the aural channel, surely they will act like medicine to carry all back to home and “BACK TO GODHEAD.”

It is proposed that at least part by part issues of this literature shall be published every year and the subscription is fixed up at Rs. 6.- per annum in India or fifteen shillings per annum abroad. The writers of this paper will be mostly those who have dedicated their lives, resources, intelligence and speeches for the service of the Absolute Personality of Godhead and for the welfare of all entities. The readers will therefore derive the highest amount of benefit by their association if they will simply sacrifice a little time for the service of Godhead as will be directed in this paper from time to time. Surely they will go back to Godhead and the present rotten world will be transformed into the Kingdom of God as they will learn to acknowledge the sovereign authority of God in home and outside.

The subject matters delineated in the pages of “Back to Godhead” may seem to be very dry in the beginning as the messages are from a different sphere altogether but still we have to give attention to the messages if we really mean to cure the disease of Nescience and go “BACK TO GODHEAD.” Sugar-candy is never sweet to those who are suffering from the disease of the bile. But still sugar-candy is the medicine for bilious patients. The taste of sugar-candy will gradually be revived if the bilious patient goes on taking sugar-candy regularly for the cure of the disease. We recommend the same process to the readers of “Back to Godhead.”

Abhay Charan De,Editor and Founder.
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

10 Offenses to Avoid

Ten offenses against the holy name of the Lord

(We do not claim GHQ, other Polygamists, Misogynists, are not devotees. However, superior devotee is a joke. We see they follow avoidance of some of the ten offenses, but they break many.)

The offenses agaisnt the chanting of the holy name are as follows:

1. To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord. (This would include blaspheme of women who took spiritual initiation vows. Calling them *hores is committing one of the ten offenses.)

2. To consider the names of the demigods like Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the holy name of Lord Vishnu.

3. To disobey the orders of the spiritual master. (That would include vows, program for initiates, deliberately misconstrue his orders to make them fit their desires. Instead the disciple is simply to surrender to them, or admit to his problem, then fix it.)

4. To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version. (Would not twisting of scripted fit here as well.)

5. To consider the glories of chanting the maha-mantra to be imagination.

6. To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.

7. To commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name of the Lord. (Sinful activity, where shall their list of offenses begin?! Then blaming it on God, Guru, Sadhu.)

8. To consider chanting of Hare Krishna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities(karma-kanda).

9. To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name.

10. To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter. (Maintaining kali yuga polygamy, man vs woman, power, hoarder or controller of money, overlord of material attachments fits here nicely.)

It is also an offense to be inattentive while chanting. (If only they'd pay more attention to Krishna, and stop thinking about women, sex, their other desires.)

Every devotee who claims to be a Vaisnava must strictly guard against these offenses in order to quickly achieve the desired success, which is Krishna-prema (Love of God).

Misogynists Like Hindu Ladies

Most GHQ, and different misogynists, will turn to marriage of a Hindu lady. This is fact. Their hate for western woman will drive them that way.

They might say we are jealous, and we'd laugh. They need to accept truth about their level, or lack of level, of spiritual advancement. Vaisnava means Vishnu devotee, devoted to Vishnu.

On the surface their marriage to a non initiated Hindu lady appears pleasant enough. We can we wish them peace in their marriage (more than they wished upon us).

Save for their attitude they finally rid themselves of the "western" woman, never-mind these women are not their western bodies and strict devotees - such men now have who they want, a Hindu trained since childhood to fall at their feet. (Some actually demand their wife bow down on her knees before him a minimum once daily.) A Hindu woman, soul in female body, many were taught husband is guru, indisputably. A woman who was cultivated from young age, do ‘whatever’ husbands instructs, regardless if others warn. This training has been set, follow blindly or justify his actions of maya, as not maya.

Interrupting for moment: Desiring to illuminate, not criticizing everyone or woman Hindu. Many be amazing devotees.

Point of fact, every hindu woman does not behave or believe in these ways.

Next point of fact. GHQ or misogynist will hunt down the ladies with beliefs and lifestyle similar to his.

We wish them more goodwill then they did the rest of the grhastha world. Once they each get "their" wife and family, they do not want us to throw a wrench in it or disturb it in any way, as they did ours. They will protect their family life and marriage as if in war, but other devotees were exptected to let them severely bring damage to theirs. Not to worry, we have no intention in that way. These are things only terrorists think up, what to speak, act on.

They are feeling happy with their Hindu wives, and we are happy for them.

We nonetheless don't buy into it as the highest, most first class. Good feelings they experience in such marriages are not automatic same philosophy of Srila Prabhupada merely because they married Hindu, escaping the clutches of Western woman.

Apparently western woman as serious devotee was not as important than the ways of his lifestyle desires, with him receiving many pleasures as central the point.

They may come retort: "We told you so, we said if you did not surrender to us, you would be husbandless." We again laugh. We do not want to marry them (this is where their mind goes). We want them to keep their vows to Prabhupada, and live in accordance to everything they promised him.

Whenever such men get their way, be it right or wrong, they insist to constantly feel good. Never to admit to wrongness, because that doesn't feel good.

Distinguish: while they may seek and find Hindu woman who will agree with them they be glorious male superior births, that's Hinduism, not Krishna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada repeatedly elucidated that we do not practice Hinduism, are not Hindu's, our path is transcendental. (Hindu's do not be offended, as Hindus are of many religions, some practice Krsna consciousness.)

Misogynists have hard time seeing with transcendental eyes, thus they merge with Hinduism.

Very well, do what you must, what you desire.

Never shall the educated "western" women, "initiated" or equally the women strictly following, never will they accept that now its getting done right, as misogynists claim. Rather, it's obvious to any intelligent human, what’s currently happening is reception of maha sense gratification, all varieties.

Thus a reason such men don't like western women: education. Western women have seriously studied Prabhupada's philosophy, can recognize folly, and will call them out when they are preaching maya.

Too puffed up to admit when wrong, always pretense of right, with demands to be blindly support by wife, even saw them expect this from the generalized population of devotee ladies! Reality: Won't happen with females who made serious commitment to Srila Prabhupada for instructions, lifestyle, initiation.

Consequently, misogynists turn to Hindu women. Such a wife who bows to his feet, accepts a smack as deserving, has sex when he commands, believes her husband as guru-pati. (The intelligent Vaisnava women accepts instructions strictly from Srila Prabhupada, rejecting any distortions.)

The educated Western women was "properly trained" to serve to Krsna. While basic instructions are there for wife to take care of husband, they are also there for husband to take care of wife, then to keep it all extremely simple so they both will have more time to serve God. This is the training of the western Vaisnava. Prominence of attention is in relationship to Krishna. To be with such a woman the GHQ and misogynists would have to come clean about their addiction to sex and power. They never will be truthful, easier to blame on her western birth, avoiding she's often more strict practitioner of a higher process than they could carry out.

Lord Caitanya said one day preaching will go on in every town and village, Prabhupada said many of us be devotees in past life, yet misogynists belittle and demean as "western." Never thinking the Lords plan might have had something to do with. Thus they bring karma onto their head.

They shall not pull the wool over our eyes, which makes them irate that we refuse to play the game. They like to play them on women. Pat each other on back how that lie manipulated so well, that woman.

The unfortunate "blindly" following Hindu ladies, we feel sorry to. We hope one day they read Srila Prabhupada’s detailed literatures, letters, and discern how he treated women setting the example. Discover his genuine higher meanings. Ultimately she might try to get husband out of maya. It may be impossible, at least she tries, then to try to save her own soul.

Also worthy of mention is there be Hindu women who do not believe in absolute power of husband or that abuse as spiritual but got roped into an arranged marriage with fallen misogynist. (Some arranged marries work, don't throw away baby with bath water.) Another, the man may have lied to her and presented himself differently prior to marriage, then after she agreed to marriage, he became bully. Some Hindu ladies have no other way left to be cared for, thus side with him for that reason, and to avoid harm.

It should lastly be commented, there are some Western Women who think and behave exactly like some Hindu ladies, with the glories of men, or abuse as godly. We too feel sorry for these Western Woman.

Although most will balk and claim to not need our pity, in some cases that's possible Stockholm syndrome, but survival is needed when no one can intervene to straighten things up. We hope it doesn't take as long where one day finding themselves, with or without choice, in police office due to husbands abuse (emotional, spiritual, sexual, physical), or in therapist office because he manipulated her mind too much, too long, she now does not know reality from kali yuga expectations, from what he convinced her she should be able to do, like past sages of more divine ages. Trying to be artifically advanced is a cause of falldown, and can drive one crazy too, especially if unrealistic.

We will wait, and hope such women come out of this illusion, study the process Prabhupada gave us as the correct lifestyle for this age, before they get bad experiences. Also that husband comes out of such illusions. It is shocking so many feel the need to change what Prabhupada taught in order to get sense gratification and call it religiosity. We sit and we wait, hoping for delusions to break free.

Yes, Misogynists Like Hindu Ladies, and are lying to Hindu ladies, presenting themselves much nicer than they be.

She thinks: "How lucky I am to have met and married (European, American, Canadian) Vaisnava man. Now I can move to that country with him and live peaceful, spiritual life."

He thinks: "Now I have wife I can be kind to if I 'feel in the mood,' or I beat, rape, mistreat since myself is guru over her, she accepts she deserved it and not to complain, like these stupid western women complain of it. If I have unhappiness I can pick on Hindu wife because she is suppose to keep me happy, knows it, and if I'm unhappy- its her fault or her fault of not knowing ways to return me to happiness. With this woman, I can do whatever I want."

Naturally, other thoughts go through their minds, but take heed, as these are good examples. Do not let them trick you. Remember, word 'misogynist' means "woman HATER." Hate justifies doing anything. They are acting nice? Anger is right on the edge for he who is 'woman hater' misogynist.

These men do not represent Srila Prabhupada or his Hare Krishna Movement. Know this. They are bogus to claim representation. With some looking, better men can be found in Srila Prabhupada's authentic Movement - that would not be the GHQ movement.

Prabhupada Letters to Ladies

1975 His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Letter to Laksmimoni -- Bombay 2 January, 1975

My dear Laksmimoni devi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 18th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your nice pictures of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha in Toronto.

The thing is, we should have little common sense in all activities. The example can be given that women by nature do not forget to dress very nicely although always engaged in household affairs. Deity worship is just as important as book distribution. As we sing in the Gurvastakam prayers, srivigrahara dhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tanmandira-marjanadau. So, it should be very nicely done, and at the same time, book distribution should be done. Not that we should do one thing at the sacrifice of another. That requires a little common sense. Factually, we should be engaged 24 hours in Krishna's service and everything should be done very nicely and perfectly.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps

--
Letter to Govinda -- Honolulu 1 February, 1975Letters,

My dear Govinda dasi,

Please accept my blessings. In reply to your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I beg to advise you to come to India and live in Mayapur comfortably in association of devotees. If you go, then I shall arrange to give you a very nice room completely for your use and you can peacefully engage in your painting work and read Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as join in with the devotees for regular kirtana, arati, and prasadam. What you have to do in this connection is as follows: 1) immediately you go to New York and take an entry visa from the consulate general of India. 2) ask your father to send the 200 dollars monthly to the Bank of America -Bombay branch, account number 16026, (International Society for Krishna Consciousness Mayapur-Vrndavana Fund.) This money will be kept for your expenditure. I think 500 rupees monthly will be sufficient for your food and lodging (60-70 dollars). And the balance you can spend as you like. I think this arrangement will be very nice for you according to my idea. Now you decide what to do.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps

(Notice how nicely he is taking care of her, as opposed to the misogynists philosophy that woman must not live comfortably but always be stressed in case he becomes angry, than she must also know how to fix his unctrolled mind. Here we see Prabhupada treating Govinda dasi with love and true kindness. We also see she is not treated like a stupid woman, but given responsibility.)

--

Letter to Krsna Devi (a female child)-- Tehran 14 March, 1975
Dallas

My dear Krishna Dasi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the karatala bag. It is very beautiful. I was very happy to see all of you bright-faced children at Gurukula. And I am already thinking of when I can come and visit there again. You are so fortunate to have such training in Krishna Consciousness from the very beginning of childhood.

So, take full advantage of it and follow very obediently what your older
Godbrothers and Godsisters ask you to do. Chant Hare Krishna all day and dance nicely. Eat nice Krishna Prasadam and go back to Godhead, back to home. I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps

(Problems that arose in Gurukula has nothing to do with letters like this, but due to authorities refusing to see the obvious, teachers getting away with nonsense. Whereas the point here is, how sweet this letter is, and it should be kindnes, love, sweetness, that was the intent for Gurukula.)

--

Letter to Lata -- Bombay 19 March, 1975 Pittsburgh

My dear Lata devi dasi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Krishna Consciousness is the only truth that exists. Without Krishna Consciousness everything is illusion. You must not waste this life away thinking that everything belongs to you. Everything belongs to Krishna and it must be used in His service. Even your body and mind belong to Krishna and it must be used for Krishna's glorification. Otherwise, if you use your body or mind any other way, you will have to suffer so many future miseries such as rebirth, etc. So, I request you to please try and chant 16 good rounds daily and to follow the four regulative principles as well as to read my books carefully. And give up all these foolish ideas. If you sincerely try to do this, Krishna will reciprocate by giving you the necessary intelligence and determination to carry on in Krishna Consciousness.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps

--

Letter to Rasarani -- Melbourne 22 May, 1975

My dear Rasarani devi dasi,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your note and your offering.

Always remain engaged in the service of Krishna. That is the sure and safe method to be safe from the grip of Maya. Maya will never touch you if you are cent percent serving Krishna. Follow the rules carefully, chant at least 16 rounds, read and study my books deeply, and in this way be enthusiastic about going back to Godhead in this life.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps

--

Letter to Shaktimati -- Bombay 18 August, 1975

Nairobi

My Dear Shakti Mati devi dasi,

Please accept my blessings. I have received report from Brahmananda Swami that you are still living outside the temple. This is not good, and I would request you to immediately return to the temple. And they must receive you nicely. They are your spiritual sons and daughters, so Mother and children must live together in the temple.

Please especially see that the Deity worship is going nicely. You are an experienced lady, and you can teach especially the girls there to cook nicely for the Deity, to prepare flower garlands nicely for the Deity, to clean and dress the Deity nicely.

You organize this to the first class standard, as I have seen they are doing in Los Angeles and in London. Then people will be automatically attracted. You know how to do these things, and they must take instruction from you. And, you can let me know how things are going on there.

I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/bs

(GHQ and sometimes misogynists criticize brahmacarini ashrama, claiming it not Vedic, not what Prabhupada wanted. Yet in this letter of 1975, less then two years of his leaving the planet, Srila Prabhupada is still wanting women to move into the temple and live there. Also GHQ and some misogynists criticize woman going onto altar as Pujari / brahmana priest. Prabhupada not only instructs this lady devotee to do so but tells she is expert and to teach other females. Often Ghq and misogynists claim to start the Movement, Prabhupada had no choice other than allowing woman to do what otherwise men should have done. Whereas in this 1975 letter what he had women doing was same as he always had women doing.

--

Letter to Sharon Suzuki -- 4 September, 1975

Sharon Suzuki
Keaau, Hawaii

My dear Sharon Suzuki;

Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter and I have noted the contents carefully. It is quite evident that you are feeling anxiety in your mind. The best way to overcome this, the way to control the mind is to become Krsna conscious. This is stated in the Bhagavad gita in the sixth chapter, that one has to control the mind otherwise the mind will become his worst enemy. The process for Krsna consciousness is that we control the mind through hearing and chanting. We hear the maha mantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and we hear the lectures from the spiritual master and read his books. Also we speak by preaching and by chanting. This is the easy method for controlling the mind, by hearing and chanting.

So my advice to you is to somehow or other fix your mind on Krsna then you will experience peace of mind and your mind will be your best friend.

I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/bs/hdb

(Fix the mind on Krishna, not sex, power, control.)

--

Letter to ISKCON Artists -- Bombay 2 May, 1974

Brooklyn

My dear ISKCON artists,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of April 19, 1974 and have noted the contents. I will answer the points as best as I can.

1. Fresh rice and paddy grains are simply some grains. Still in this country of sandalwood pulp and rice grains are used to put on the forehead in different blessings.

2. Saci should wear a nice sari and nice ornaments, wearing vermillion on the part of her hair. She is dressed not like a queen but a well to do householder.

3. As a baby, boy and young man Lord Caitanya should be dressed opulently. Ornaments are essential.

4. Show the land opulent for the appearance of Maharaja Prthu.

5. & 6. These questions require researching the Bhagavatam. I have asked Pradyumna to look them up for you.

7. No Prthu does not have effulgence. He was a saktyavesa avatara, a living entity empowered.

8. Dhruva should be just as he is shown in your sketch.

9. The sketch is all right. An orange-red dhoti is all right.

10. The airplanes are all right as drawn.

11. The demigods planes are almost equal to the Vaikuntha planes.

12. Yes, the inhabitants of a particular Vaikuntha planet have the same arrangement of symbols in the hands. Nanda and Sunanda should hold as follows: lower right: conch, upper right: disc, upper left: club, lower left: flower.

13. Pracetas should be not clean shaven, but with beards as mendicants. Siva is different colors. Not always yellow. There are eleven kinds of Rudras.

14. No, Siva should not be wearing a garland of skulls. Yes, he can be wearing a short dhoti.

15. They should all be standing around the fire at the sacrificial altar.
Do not show the horse there.

16. Yes, although you may not know what Maharaja
Prthu or Sita look like, they are present in your paintings due to your consciousness.

I am always pleased and looking forward to seeing more beautiful pictures in our books. In India we make life members simply from the high quality and appearance of our books with illustrations. Our society is unrivalled in this respect and this is your credit who are working so selflessly to illustrate my books. Thank you very much.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/sdg