680817 - Letter to Hayagriva written from Montreal

Letters by Date, 1968

Tridandi Goswami
AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society For Krishna Consciousness

CAMP: ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE
3720 Park Avenue
Montreal Quebec Canada

DATED ..August..17,.................196.8.

My Dear Hayagriva,

Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your note dated August 13, 1968, with the copy of lease agreement and I have gone through it carefully. When you were here I suggested to purchase the land out-right. But I think it has not been possible. But on the face of the lease, it appears as good as sale document.

But the clause, "Excepting and reserving however, all of the coal within and underlying said property, and subject to the mining rights and privileges set forth in the deed conveying said coal, made by Joseph E. McCombs, et al., dated March 30, 1903, recorded in said Clerk's office in Deed Book 98, at page 185," has caused my headache. I do not know what is written there in the Clerk's office in Deed Book 98, but on common sense, it appears that the area is coal mine or oil mine. Under the circumstances, if in future coal industry is developed and if it is required, the government may at once ask us to vacate and no law can stop it. Even if the government does not acquire our land, if in our vicinity some such industry (coal or oil industry) is started, the whole idea of Vrindaban will fade away. Vrindaban conception is a transcendental village, without any botheration of the modern industrial atmosphere. My idea of developing New Vrindaban is to create an atmosphere of spiritual life where people in bonafide order of social division, namely, Brahmacharies, Grihastas, Vanaprastha, Sannyasins, or specifically Brahmacharies and Sannyasins, and Vanaprasthas, will live there independently, completely depending on agricultural produce and milk from the cows. The life should be simplified without being hampered by laboring day and night for economic development, without any spiritual understanding. The New Vrindaban idea is that persons who live there will accept the bare necessities of life to maintain the body and soul together and the major part of time should be engaged in development of Krishna Consciousness. The whole Vedic principle is to develop Krishna Consciousness, without creating much botheration for the program of sense gratification. Industrial development (or mining industry) in the neighboring places will mar the whole idea. Now you have to consider, yourself, looking forward to the future, of the land, and then decide, what to do. I do not like to have New Vrindaban with industrial or mining areas. I have got experience of them in India, that the mining areas are simply next to dungeon. The workers in the mines are considered to be residing in the hell. And we can never expect any good behavior from such workers. So we must think of the atmosphere around Vrindaban. In India also our present government, they are trying to develop industries in the vast tracts of land around Vrindaban, and creating a hellish atmosphere. So I shall request you to be assured of the future of the land, and then do the needful. The summary is that the face of the lease agreement appears to be all right, but I am thinking of a spiritual development. I hope you have received my previous letter and I am expecting your reply as soon as possible.

Last night we celebrated here Janmastami festival very gorgeously, and many Indians in large number attended and they contributed also very liberally. One Madrasi gentleman demonstrated a Krishna dance by his two young daughters, and it was nice. At the present moment, many devotees from San Francisco, New York (specifically your intimate friend Woomapati, is present here) have come here. Today they will observe Vyas Puja ceremony (my Birthday Anniversary), so from this day, I will be stepping on the 73rd year. I hope the remaining days of my life may be utilized to serve you all Western devotees of Krishna. Please pray to Krishna that he may give me the necessary strength to discharge the duty entrusted by my Spiritual Master. Convey my blessings to Kirtanananda, and I hope you are all doing well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami