690128 - Letter to Malati written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

January 28, 1969

My Dear Malati,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter (undated) and I was very pleased to note the contents. Regarding the Radha-Syama chanting which you have heard it is not very good. In our temple, strictly Hare Krishna chanting should be given more importance. This is no harm in this mantra you have heard, but it is not very important. There are many such common songs composed by common devotees out of sentiment. But our principle is to stick to the authorities, and always remember that Hare Krishna is the prime authorized mantra.

I am very much encouraged to learn that you are bold enough to challenge any nondevotee as you did with that impersonalist yoga student. That should be the temperament of all our preachers. We should not be aggressive, but we should not tolerate any sort of nonsense. One who says that God is not merciful because He has made one person happy and one distressed is most nonsensical. This very statement affirms that man as a godless rascal. All of these so-called yogis are therefore rascals because they have no actual realization of God. Falsely they think themselves as God, and their association should be avoided as far as possible.

Regarding this Syama-Mataji Dasi from Vrindaban, does she sing Hare Krishna Mantra or not? If she chants Hare Krishna it is all right, and if she does not chant the Hare Krishna Mantra, you should ask her why she does not do so. I am not familiar with her Spiritual Master, Gaurangidas, but if he has taught her to sing this Radha-Syama song, then he also is not authorized.

Thanking you once more for your letter. Please convey my blessings to your husband and child, as well as to all of the other devotees there with you. I hope this will meet all of you in very good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami