691109 - Letter to Bhagavan written from London

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: 7, Bury Place
London, WC 1
ENGLAND

DATE .....November 9,..........1969.

My Dear Bhagavandas,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 26, 1969. It is very encouraging that from the very beginning of your center you are successfully executing your entrusted duties. Krishna will be very much pleased upon you and your wife, Krishna Bhamini. In our society we want to see some ideal householders as you are, so that preaching may go on with great speed. From the very beginning of this movement the associates of Lord Chaitanya were all householders. All four of the principal associates; namely Advaita Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Srivasa Prabhu, Gadadhar Prabhu, and even Lord Chaitanya Himself—They were all householders. So we are not impersonalists or voidists. Our program is to enter into the association of Krishna. But we cannot enter within this association without being completely disinfected from the contamination of material sinful life. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna Himself that only those who are absolutely cleansed of all dirty sins can be engaged in Krishna Consciousness in full swing. In other words, those who are fully in Krishna Consciousness can be free from material contamination and thus enter into association of Krishna. There will be no botheration for you of family life, provided it is carried on in full Krishna Consciousness. Follow this idea and you will be happy. The Western world needs this help, so try to do this welfare work for the human society.

It is very happy news that your are getting a bus, but purchase it new. Second-hand machine is not always reliable. It may give so much trouble. A similar attempt was made previously by Rupanuga. He spent $600 and was practically cheated. So be careful about all these unfair business dealers.

Regarding your first question about annamoya, this annamoya theory is for persons who are in the lowest grade of transcendental realization. When you take to Prasadam, it is directly on the spiritual platform. Annamoya concept of life is not on the spiritual platform. Our process is therefore very easy and effective in this age. So the prescribed methods which we have adopted under authoritative scriptural injunctions are sufficient for our progress. Regarding your second question, the 24 elements are the five gross elements, the three subtle elements, 10 senses, five sense objects, and the total material cause, (Mahat Tattva). Above these there is the situation of the spirit soul, which is the 25th category, and above this is the Supersoul, or Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind is a subtle element, therefore it is in the body. Generally, the brain is accepted as the location of the mind.

Regarding your final question, it is a fact that when one is contact with Krishna, His Name, His Qualities, His Form, His Pastimes, immediately he becomes purified. But because we are conscious living entities, the proportion depends on our conscious acceptance. It is stated in the Bhagavad Gita that Lord Krishna responds proportionately to the service of the devotee. Another example is that the sunlight is open for everyone and for every place, but to enjoy the sunlight or to take advantage of the sunlight depends on the proportionate arrangement by the receiver. Prosecution of devotional service means gradual purification and proportionate revelation of Krishna Consciousness

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet all of you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

NB: Enclosed please find photographs of the Los Angeles altar. You may construct your altar in the exact same way. For any further construction information you may consult the devotees there, and when the throne is prepared you shall get the Deities also.
Perhaps Naranarayan is there & he can help you. [handwritten]