690724 - Letter to Brahmananda written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: 1975 So. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, California

DATE ....July..24,.......... 1969

My Dear Brahmananda,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 21, 1969, and I have noted the contents with so much satisfaction. Enclosed please find the three cards duly signed by me. Last evening when I was in the temple to perform initiation ceremony for about one dozen devotees I was talking to Tamal Krishna and Gargamuni that Brahmananda is now competing with you. So it was very pleasing talk that there is transcendental competition between the centers, and it is Krishna's Grace that you stand first in this week's business. Krishna is very kind, and He is giving the full remunerations to His sincere servants. We should always remember that Krishna is always grateful to His devotees. If some ordinary man gives sufficient remuneration to a worker, why Krishna will not give sufficient remuneration to His servants? But we should always remember that whatever Krishna gives us, that never becomes ours. It is Krishna's. The more we receive from Krishna, the more we engage the remunerations in the service of Krishna. That is the duty of a bonafide brahmin. A Vaisnava is automatically a bona fide brahmin. There is a proverb that a brahmin remains a beggar even if he receives $100,000. That means that a brahmin is supposed to spend all of his money for Krishna as he receives it from Krishna.
I am so glad to learn that you have increased the number of BTG's to be printed. It is very nice. I was just this morning asking Purushottam to inform you of increasing the publication of Issue #26 because the article, "Beyond the Universe," is very interesting. In the present atmosphere of space exploration this kind of article will be much appreciated, and people will know that we are not sentimentalists. Our background is solid, scientific and authorized. Actually, the modern astronauts are trying to reach the moon planet, and even if they reach there they cannot live there; and even if they live there, that is also not permanent. But our ambition is far, far greater, nobler and more sublime than these astronauts because we are trying to reach the Supreme Planet, Krishna Loka, and live there eternally in association with Krishna. Krishna has also advised in Bhagavad Gita that even if we go to the topmost planet, Brahma Loka, still we have to come back again. But if we go to Krishna Loka, there is no coming back to this material world.
The questions as put on Bhagavad Gita, Third Chapter, are very intelligent and I like it very much. I am very much anxious to hear about Rayarama. It is my confidential advice to you that if he feels any difficulties for money, you may discriminatingly help him, and he should continue as the managing editor. Full cooperation should be there between you and him. We simply wanted to save the money for some better utilization. Otherwise we have nothing to grudge against anyone.
New York is the biggest city in the world, and therefore the standard of New York should be maintained in consuming BTG and giving us contributions. Our first starting point was New York. Please convey my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami