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701128 - Letter to Satsvarupa from Aravinda


November 28, 1970

CAMP: c/o Kailash Seksaria; 74 Marine Drive; Bombay-20, India

From: Aravinda

My Dear Satsvarupa Prabhuji,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 16th November, 1970.Lord Krishna is so merciful! He has so kindly given me a chance to write you after desiring to do so for a week. By Srila Prabhupada’s causeless mercy I have become so much engaged here; there is so much to be done here in India and like the most expert military commander, Srila Prabhupada is directing us, His soldiers, in so many strategic positions, to carry out His great plan to conquer, not only all of India, but all of the world. Eternal glories to His Divine Grace! You ask in your letter that I write such letters regularly. That has been sanctioned by His Divine Grace, and so it has become my (blissful) duty. I’ll do my best to write every 10 days or so. His Divine Grace said that such distribution of information is very nice. So I leave it up to you to zerox these ‘letrs’ and distribute them, at least to all GBC members as Tamal requested in the last letter, if not to all the presidents .Also Tamal requests that anything from India that you zerox, a few copies should be sent here. That includes the first three letters in this series, the first of which was hand written.

Regarding Press matters: Enclosed in this package is one letter in response to your letter of November 17th from Srila Prabhupada, which should answer most of your questions. So far as shortage of men is concerned, particularly layout men, Hansadutta Prabhu has informed me that the President of Portland temple, Locandas, was as a Karmi, a professional layout man – the production manager for a top class engineering magazine. Perhaps he could join the press. Also I am told that JayaGovinda, ISKCON’S original layout man, may soon be returning to the states because of some draft difficulties. Whether he plans to return thereafter to Europe, I can’t say, but you can inquire. I, too, am still doing layout work: His Divine Grace just this morning informed me that we are purchasing Hindi and Bengali typewriters and He wants me to layout BTG, Hindi & Bengali editions. But for the time being you should continue with Hindi BTG until His Divine Grace instructs us further. Aside from secretarial work, Srila Prabhupada has also asked that I hand script, in English the Chaitanya Charitamrita, a bonafide translation of which He is due to receive from some Indian devotee here. What a task! How do I ever deserve such mercy – so much engagement!

I can understand that you “are on pins and needles waiting for the Deities to arrive from India”. You will be glad to know that immediate arrangement is being made for their shipment. So you should be receiving them very soon. Three sets, 24”, solid brass to L.A. Montreal and Boston. Also Murtis similar to the ones in London will be shipped to San Francisco and an east coast center – I believe Baltimore, (but I’m not sure of that.)

Sprinkled from His Lotus Lips:

  • Anxiety is the cause of all disease.
  • To serve your father is your duty; therefore you should worship God. If you sincerely worship God and you sit in one place, everything will come. Why should you not worship Him? He is supplying all necessities.Nitya Nityanam, Chaitanyas Chaitananam, eko yo bahunam, bidhadati Kaman (katho Upan.)“He is the Supreme eternal amongst all eternals and He is the Supreme living creature amongst all living creatures … and He is supplying everyone’s needs.”(Srila Prabhupada speaking to a karmi:)Every living being has got the right to live at the expense of God, so why are you killing animals.(this discourse continued on reverse)

Goddess Kali does not eat meat; she is the husband [wife] of lord Shiva and takes only His remnants. That offered meat is eaten by ghosts, and so those people are eating remnants of ghosts. They are not worshipping Durga strictly according to scripture.

Simply for eating a little meat I must buy a goat, pay butcher, pay priest, take the responsibility for killing, so many things. Yet if I offer to Krishna just a flower and some fruit and water, He is satisfied and I go to Vaikuntha. Which is more intelligent?

  • These people who are giving money to the drunkard on the street – that is charity in the mode of ignorance, and they will share the sinful reaction for the drunkard’s action. So by that charity he is being dragged down to hell. If he gives to us, he is being lifted up to Vaikuntha.
  • Mongol artik means auspicious. Beginning of the auspicious day. If you perform it according to the rules and regulations, your whole day will be auspicious. (If, for some reason you can’t bathe before that artik, it is better to attend in unclean state. These activities must be regular.)
  • When Srila Prabhupada started the movement, many people here wanted Him to call it God-consciousness, not Krishna Consciousness, but Srila Prabhupada refused their request because Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead!
  • In the material world there are two prominent features: hankering after what we don’t have and lamentation for something we’ve lost. This is true in all the different species. But for one who is Brahman realized, there is no more hankering and no more lamentation.
  • Any dharma (religion) which does not teach you complete surrender to God is not dharma.
  • Your natural tendency to love others should be given to Krishna then it will be perfect. We love everyone. We want that everyone becomes Krishna Conscious and becomes really happy. That is our mission. We are trying to help you take to Krishna Consciousness and make your life perfect.
  • Rupa Goswami said eagerness is the price for becoming Krishna Conscious. That eagerness to achieve Krishna is very difficult to obtain; even after many births.

Krishna is never conquerable, but to one who is engaged by his mind, body and words in Krishna’s service, Krishna becomes conquered by him.

  • (about Karandhar Das) Because he is giving service sincerely, he is becoming enlightened. That is the process.

As soon as one becomes the least bit selfish, he is a false man. As soon as he is for Krishna, he becomes a real man.

  • Brahmin is the head of the society. Because there are no good brahmins, the society has gone crazy, like a head cut off from the body is useless. Lord Chaitanya’s movement is to create good brahmins (or Vaishnavas).

Who can be a better (political) leader than Lord Chaitanya? Simply you have to follow His footsteps, that’s all.

  • Everything is already there to spread Krishna Consciousness. The work of the acharya is how to present it, that’s all.
  • Prince of Whales came to India and saw that everything here was so bright with sunshine, unlike U.K. Srila Prabhupada then told how he gave up his kingdom for a woman, but now he is crying.

According to the Vedic system, there is no question of divorce, nor is there any question of choice in a marriage, but just who the parents choose. In the material world, there is no such thing as love. All of it is bogus.

When Srila Prabhupada orders a marriage, that is good, but marriage is not our major business. It is just a necessity to fulfill is all.

  • Srila Prabhupada said “the more you distribute knowledge, the more your knowledge increases!”
  • The other day we were coming from Amritsar – with my students – and we passed through Kurukshetra. We stopped there. O-hear [?] is the battlefield of Kurukshetra. And some Gita commentators say Kurukshetra means the body. What kind of nonsense?
  • India is the perfect place for spiritual realization. The climate is such that even a poor man can always remain fresh – take a bath in any river and sit under a tree with just a loincloth.

In India they don’t have to advertise spiritual events. Everyone naturally knows – millions at the Kumbha Mehla. Everyone born in India is pious, but they’ve been cheated. The British introduced the railway and drew the poor people to the cities for employment and now they have been subjected to so much nonsense – bad association. In this way Gandhi’s movement was good. He wanted to move everyone back to the villages. This is the society of the cheaters and the cheated. Maya’s business is to cheat.

  • Take prasad – but don’t eat by your palate but to maintain the body. A little bit of carbohydrate (vegetable), a little bit of starch (rice), a little bit of protein – dahl and 2 chapatties. Little fruit, little milk (for fat): Ayurvedic way of eating. Too much protein makes for sex desire – why in the west the meat eaters are so much after sex life.
  • Srila Prabhupada asked, “So how are you feeling?”…“How are you feeling, Srila Prabhupada?”… Srila Prabhupada replied “If you are feeling all right, then I am feeling all right.
  • Your form in your photograph cannot act because you have little power. But Krishna has all power, so His picture can act. It is a question of power. God is all powerful, so He can act through His picture.
  • Not that under the order of the spiritual master I am giving everything to Krishna, but that is my duty! I must do it! And that is the true yogi, the true sanyasin. Just meditating for years or just chanting Hare Krishna but not doing anything for Krishna, that is not Yoga. Only that person who is working without any desire to enjoy the result. He is yogi.
  • ”Not only 3,000, but if you give us 3,000,000 Rupees or the whole money of the world – you give it to us and we will spend it for Krishna – that is our program. Krishna is unlimited. We can spend unlimited amounts for Him and we know how to spend for Him!
  • Weakness means sleeping. As soon as one is weak, he will sleep more. Strength means perspiring. Weakness means you are eating more than you can digest or not eating enough. You should take just what you need to maintain the body. Tuberculosis is a disease from under eating. Eating more means diabetes.
  • Faith and enthusiasm will make us successful, but you have to work also nicely and honestly and in the association of devotees.
  • Not knowing the date, that is another craziness.”
  • Difference of time between Ramayana and Mahabharata at least 800,000 years. I think there is no modern literature which can speak so far back. Is that not so? Generally they (Indians) think Bhagwatam means story book. The rascals do not know it is full of philosophy, so we have to change that.
  • By propaganda one can be raised to the highest position as well as pulled down, as Krushev of Russia. All leaders are afraid of newspapers.

Spiritual movement – as soon as there is money and power, it deteriorates. Just like Gaudia Math. Spiritual propaganda diminished. So we should – every one of us – be very careful of this.

  • In India there are six seasons, two months each.
  • ”Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

(Srila Prabhupada speaking:)You come, I shall supply food. You, your wife, all of Bombay come, I shall supply you food. So why are you working? Do you need anymore? My students are not dying for want of food; they are improving their health. Before they came they weren’t so bright faced. You don’t think God shall supply you food? Then you have no faith in God. That’s why they’re suffering.

Ramkrishna didn’t know anything about God. He was atheist. He declared himself God by keeping a beard. Why do you talk about pretenders? (speaking to a visitor) You should worship the acharyas, not these false pretenders. How much rascledom! God, Narayan is the husband of the goddess of fortune and He is loitering in the street? So how you can say everyone is God?

Nobody knows what God is but we know what is God. We are preaching it for the first time. Take it from us and learn what is God. We challenge the whole world. Come forward and learn what is God.

Everyone is bluffing. Sankaracharya was very strict and they’ re smoking and drinking and so much nonsense. Is that following Sankaracharya? When you are doing one thing and thinking another, that is called maya. Last snare of maya – that by jugglery of words or mystic power thinking oneself to be God. Is God so cheap thing? Just like a bull with a ring in its nose. My independence is in my nose. As soon as Krsna or maya pulls, I must go. At every step I am dependent and I am thinking I am independent?

One should show his anger upon the demons just like fire – to expose those who are insulting God, against God. How can you tolerate if you are servant of God? That is service to God.(Lord Chaitanya reacted like fire to Jagai & Madai).

Everyone has a natural inclination to love God and these rascals are saying there is no God or I am God. The Indians have to be taught by the American students here what is God. Without service, there is no possibility of understanding what is Krishna. To the mental speculators, etc. God will always remain inconceivable.

Lord Chaitanya says just hear with submission from authority a realized authorized person, remain in your place and one day you’ll conquer Krishna who is unconquerable.

  • Calcutta was originally three villages and there is there one very big Kali temple; the city was originally called Kali-cutta”. Goats are sacrificed to Kali and the meat is taken there. Kali pooja also is Vedic, but not that every day they should sacrifice goats, as is the practice. They have made a slaughter house under the name of Kali because they want to eat meat.

Sex-life, meat eating, drinking, are strong desires in the human being. So in scripture can do regulated so that eventually they’ll advance enough to stop: sex-life only for having children, that is real contraceptive – voluntary; Meat-eating, one can sacrifice a goat once a month; the goat must be black, killed at midnight so that its scream cannot be heard, etc.(And in its next life, that goat, who will get a human life, will have the right to kill you).Drinking wine also by making offering to a form of Kali, called Chandi.

Since everyone in Kali-yuga is doing these things, we must say STOP, and chanting Hare Krishna Mantra will maintain us. “Srila Prabhupada, you have to come to Bengal (Calcutta) and you will save us” (karmi). Srila Prabhupada replied, “I don’t know if I can save you; I can give you the message (of Lord Chaitanya) that’s all.

There’s no place in Bhagavad Gita which says if you worship Kali, you become God. Then why these people are following Ramkrishna (who says “I was Krishna”) – worshipping Kali and expecting to become God?

Demons are thinking that by bribing Kali, they’ll be saved. But no; Kali, by the order of Krishna, must cut off their head. Due to this Ramkrishna, all of Bengal has gone to hell.

  • On our visa renewal application, we are termed guests of His Divine Grace. Srila Prabhupada said “Yes, you are always my guests… (pause) … and the host is always eating at the expense of the guest.”
  • Dirt contains 60% soda, soda & oil = soap, so either dirt or soap should always be used to wash hands after evacuating.
  • In a very recent letter to one of our God-brothers, His Divine Grace wrote:

“Wherever we may be, if we are engaged in Krishna’s service, that is our success. Bhaktivinode Thakur sang, praying [to] the Lord, that He would prefer to take His birth as an ant in the house of a devotee than to take birth as powerful as Brahma without devotional service. The conclusion is that in any condition of life we can become happy if we are engaged in devotional service. Srila Rupa Goswami has said that a person whose desire is always to serve the Lord is always liberated at any circumstance of life…. Maya is very strong and she can victimize any one of us at any moment. We shall therefore keep ourselves vigilant and this is only possible by rigid engagement in Krishna’s service ….. Here in Bombay we are getting good response. Our expenditure is very high because Bombay is like European and American cities. But Krishna is providing us with all facilities. It requires only a little intelligence how to keep pace with Krishna and the world simultaneously.”

In another letter: “Actually these two books, KRSNA & NOD are revolutionary to your country Not only to your country – all over the world. Nobody has any clear idea of God, so in hopelessness they declare that God is dead. So these books will supply clear idea of God. Not only that – anyone who will read this KRSNA book in 2 parts and NOD and if possible TLC, I’m sure he cannot go away from being a devotee of Krishna. Yamuna Devi Dasi is now in Delhi and she is preaching so wonderfully that she has been booked to speak at an engagement bore Indira Gandhi and the wife of the president of India, Mr. Giri. His Divine Grace is very pleased.

There is here in Bombay one Mr. Birla who is claimed to be the wealthiest man in India. He is a religious man and has met with His Divine Grace, and not only that but has taken three life memberships. He likes Srila Prabhupada very much and has promised very great things for this movement for the future – not only in India but in countries all over the world. His elder brother is responsible for constructing 100 Radha-Krishna temples throughout India, so let us see what he has planned.

Srila Prabhupada was telling that when He was a young man, that at an early age he was such a great businessman, pharmaceutical distribution, that already he had control of all of northern India. His horoscope foretold that Srila Prabhupada was destined to become as powerful and wealthy as the above Mr. Birla, and that the astrologers couldn’t understand how it didn’t happen. Srila Prabhupada said that it was because His Guru Maharaj didn’t let it happen. He induced Srila Prabhupada to take up spiritual life instead, and so now Srila Prabhupada is world famous as a spiritual leader instead of a big businessman. And his unparalleled organizational ability has now been dovetailed in Krishna’s service, as we can practically see how our beloved Srila Prabhupada is ‘conquering’ the world.

  • Whatever success is there, it is due to our purity, following purity principles. First you must be sincere and pure, then there is a question of spiritual advancement.
  • Everyone is being misled by blind leaders, but the spiritual master opens the eyes. His qualification is that He puts things as they are. If you get a bonafide spiritual master, then you get God. Then by his satisfaction, God becomes satisfied immediately. By His dissatisfaction, everything is finished.
  • Parvati, Shiva’s wife never complained, but once she complained that she wanted a house to live in, since she had none. So Lord Shiva, to please her, gave her a golden house. Before they moved in they had, as is customary, an opening ceremony. Many rishis were called to conduct the ceremony. After the ceremony, it was customary that the Rishis be given a gift, or dakshina, mainly money. But Shiva didn’t have any money, and the only thing of any value he had there to give to the Rishi but the house, [sic] and so he gave it. Once again Parvati had to live under a tree, but she never complained again.
  • We are a world wide institution, so for us there is no question of distance. We should take advantage of modern facilities, even though there are better facilities on higher planets, like Siddhaloka where they are so light that they can fly in the rays of the sunbeams, to sun planet immediately. Any planet you can go, but you must know how. These yogic facilities are also material, but finer. They can travel by “the chariot of the mind”. Of course we are not very much concerned with such chariots; simply we are concerned with how to serve Krishna sincerely. That is our duty. If some miracle is to be done it will be done by Krishna.

In other religions there are so many stories of miracles. But we are not concerned with miracles. But if Krishna likes, automatically there is miracle. That this Hare Krishna chanting has spread over the earth in such a short time is Krishna’s miracle. But we are not after miracles, but after duties, that’s all.

  • Don’t desire so as to be unnecessarily miserly or unnecessarily lavish. Just what is necessary.”
    • (random notes from one engagement): Krishna Consciousness is not a new movement. It is the oldest system of religiosity. It was lost because the parampara system was lost.; We’re preaching this Krishna Consciousness, not as something manufactured by our teeny brains. It was spoken by Krishna and accepted by Arjuna; So it is accepted that God, Krishna, is there. So why are you missing God? One Indian girl in Berkeley University asked me what is God. Just see – an Indian girl and she has forgotten her own culture. That is the effect of our modern education.; We have lost our own culture and now we are begging from other countries (for technology). *Srila Prabhupada said – “I have not come to beg, but to give them something.” You can go on with technology, but don’t forget your own culture. (addressing Indian audience about Vedic culture.) Just as Krishna told Arjuna “go on fighting, but don’t forget Me.”Sanatan Goswami first said to Lord Chaitanya when he met that I am accepted as a very learned man, but I do not know who I am: And that is our position; Bhagavad Gita minus Krishna is nonsense! Bhagavad Gita means Krishna Consciousness; I have brought these disciples from foreign countries just to remind you that you have forgotten your own culture. We want you to join us. We are just attempting in our teeny way to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world. We have got big books, more than 400 pages, all about Krishna Consciousness. Please cooperate with me and if you accept this Krishna Consciousness just see how happy you’ll become. So our request with folded hands and falling at your feet with straw in mouth, just take to this Krishna Consciousness and you’ll be happy.”

So far as BTG material is concerned, you will be glad to know that finally that is being organized (actually it’s that it’s just ‘happening’ finally) and soon you will be sent many first-class articles and photos. Enclosed are two articles by Dinnanath and Chidananda not much “Prabhupada pastime in India” nectar – mostly philosophy. Also is one article kindly submitted by Hansadutta Prabhu, who consented to write an article, and not only that but a series of articles, after having written a recent GBC report. And for the real juice, Kartikeya Maharaj has promised to write simply on His Divine Grace’s transcendental pastimes here in India thus far. Upon hearing this, Rishi Kumar and Tamal Prabhus have also become inspired to write articles. So be patient and they’ll start flowing in. I’ll just keep after them. I’m now trying to contact the photographers present at the various engagements we’ve had here and so hope to be able to send you some nice photos soon. So far as writing articles, please accept these letters as my contribution. The others are much more qualified to write actual articles.

Please send here many packages of correct-type; there is no such thing in India and now we’ll be needing it for Hindi and Bengali typewriters also.

Also please send speedball pen points, no.s C-3 (quantity 1);
They can be purchased cheaply at any art C-4 (“ 3)
supply store, but are nowhere to be C-5 (“ 3)
found in Bombay.C-6 (“ 2)

Please offer my most prostrated obeisances to the others. Hoping this letter will meet you in good health and strong in Srila Prabhupada’s service.

Eternally your servant,

Aravinda Das B.

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