690830 - Letter to Brahmananda written from Hamburg

Letters by Date, 1969

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
INTERNATIONALE GESSELSCHAFT FUR KRISHNA BEWUSSTSEIN
2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer Weg 11
West Germany

August 30th. 1969

My Dear Brahmananda,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 25th August 1969, and I have noted the contents. Regarding Hayagriva and Satsvarupa, I think they can become joint editors, and articles to be published in BTG may be jointly decided upon. In case of disagreement the matter should be referred to me, and I shall give the final decision. When Hayagriva comes here I shall talk with him in detail. So your idea of them working jointly is nice.

I do not know what you mean by cooperation with Kirtanananda Maharaj. In our society everyone, either a brahmacary or sannyasi or grihastha, who has dedicated his life and soul for this movement, they are all on the same level of sannyasi. For the present moment, nobody can claim an extra honor from his Godbrothers. Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as Prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position. I do not know why Kirtanananda Maharaj says that his authority overrides yours. At the present moment everyone is working under my authority. Similarly, Kirtanananda also should work under my authority. So the condition imposed by Kirtanananda as stated by you does not look well. A sannyasi has got four stages of elevation: kuticak, bahudaka, parivrajaka and paramahamsa. The sannyasa in the paramahamsa stage is the Spiritual Master of everyone. I have asked Kirtanananda Maharaj to work on the bahudaka stage for the present. I discussed this point with him when I was in New Vrindaban. This stage means he should move amongst people to draw their attention to the New Vrindaban scheme and try to attract their attention for its development. So he should immediately begin this bahudaka program and collect money from outsiders, not from insiders. And as he is in charge of New Vrindaban, he may invest all such collection for the development of New Vrindaban, and before this Hayagriva must transfer the property to the society's name. So far as investment of the society's money for New Vrindaban is concerned, certainly it will be done in New Vrindaban, and not only the money which Kirtanananda Maharaj collects, but also, if need be, any center will invest money. But that investment should be in proportion to food and salt. To make it more tasteful, one adds salt to his food, and similarly, every center should be independently developed by supplying the food, and the society, if required, will supply the salt. For the present, all energy should be diverted to start a nice press for our publication work. So there is no extra money for the society to invest in New Vrindaban. Neither you can spare any money to anyone without my permission. Whatever you possess now in funds, that is not your personal money, so how can you execute the request of Kirtanananda at the present moment? I think you will understand the matter rightly and do the needful.

Regarding publication of BTG No. 29, it is good that you are publishing "Morphology and Ontology of Vedanta" by Guru Maharaj, 4 pages. So far as "Heroine Govinda Dasi" is concerned, if she has stated directly Ram Krishna as nonsense and rascal, that should not be indulged in. We cannot attack anyone directly in writing. There is a proverb in Sanskrit that you can speak something one thousand times, but don't give it in writing. Similarly, we may use some strong words against all this nonsense, but if we write it in black and white, that will not be good. So instead of naming these rascals directly, you change the word to "mental speculators." I am very glad that you are arranging to print 20,000 copies of Isopanisad immediately. Please do it. Krishna will give you all strength to fulfill His Mission by Your sincere efforts. Thank you very much.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. Please send my snuff pot when Hayagriva comes here. I could not get the __ snuff here.