680706 - Letter to Vinode Patel written from Montreal

Letters by Date, 1968

ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE
3720 Park Avenue
Montreal Quebec Canada

July 6, 68

Dear Sriman Vinode Patel,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 2nd, 1968. The language was Hindi, and the script was Gujarati. I am not accustomed to read Gujarati script, but I can understand a little Hindi. Anyway, I have grasped the substance of your letter that you are a devotee of Lord Krishna Ranchorji, of Dakore. You also desire to become my disciple. You have passed your M.Com. degree; and you want to stay with my other disciples in San Francisco. These are all nice proposals. And I think there is nothing objectionable. Gargamuni came here day before yesterday, and he has gone back yesterday after noon. He spoke to me about you, that you are coming in the temple and taking some active part in the affairs of our temple. I understand also that you have come to USA on students' visa. But you do not wish to prosecute your studies any more, but want to do some business. I know also that you are a family man, and in India you have got your wife and 2 daughters. The first thing is that you may remain in the temple with the permission of Jayananda Brahmachari, the president of the temple, and as you are rendering some service to the temple, I think he will be very glad to accept you as one of the inmates. Your desire to do something tangible for the temple and it is a very welcome suggestion. There are many things to be done in the matter of the temple. Perhaps you will appreciate that this Radha Krishna temple is the one only in San Francisco. And I know there are many Gujarati gentlemen in San Francisco to whom you can approach for improvement of the temple. If we get our own temple we can organize so many things, which will be appreciated both by the Indians and the Americans. So far business is concerned, Gargamuni is getting goods from some importer on credit, and he is selling the goods and then paying him the amount. So, he has not got to invest his capital in the business, but he is a good salesman. And if you can import some goods, according to his choice, and on your account, I think he will have no objection to purchase from you on the same system as he is doing with others. He did not talk with me about your business proposal. Under the circumstances, if you want to do something, you can talk with Gargamuni personally, and if he consults me I shall give my opinion. I know your community Patels in Gujarati are business community. And they can do lots of lucrative business, for material benefit. But you should know that we are not doing any business for material benefit. Gargamuni spends his profit for Krishna Consciousness. He is so much elevated that he works very hard for doing business diligently, but the profit made out of it, he spends for Krishna. If you wish to do business in that spirit, that will enhance your spiritual assessment. Generally, people are inclined to do business or make profit for sense gratification; such tendency is the cause of material bondage. But to act for Krishna is the cause for opening the door for liberation. So, I shall not try to implicate you in business if you are not ready to award the profit for Krishna's benefit. The best thing will be that if you can come here for some days, say, at least for a fortnight, you can remain here with us in the temple here, and talk with me in details before you become my disciple. Actually, I shall be very glad to accept an educated and intelligent disciple like you, but first of all we must meet and you should know whether you can accept me as your Spiritual Master, or I can accept you as my disciple. This is preliminary necessity. I am therefore requesting you to come here at least for a fortnight, and let us understand one another. I think it is better if you reply me this letter in English, because I find it difficult in reading Gujarati, script, though I can understand Hindi fairly well.

Please convey my blessings to Gargamuni and all the boys and girls in San Francisco. Hoping you are all well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

518 Frederick Street
San Francisco, Cal. 94117