710404 - Letter to Visnujana written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1971

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER:
P.O. Box 387 [handwritten]
Fort, Bombay-1 [handwritten]
INDIA [handwritten]
DATE .......4th.April,.............19..71.

My Dear Son, Vishnujana Maharaj,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 25th March, 1971 and have noted the contents. Because I have been very busy with the movement which is going on here, I haven't had time to reply your letter until now. As soon as I remember that you are trying to fulfill my desire of trying to open ten centers, it gives me renewed vigor and life. Please do it nicely. I have got confidence in you because Krishna has given you special talent for chanting Hare Krishna Mantra. When you were chanting in L.A. temple in the evenings, or in the mornings, I enjoyed your chanting so nicely that I thought myself immediately carried to Vaikuntha. So I am always thankful to you for your activities in announcing the interest of our mission. Thank you very much. Most probably when I return to L.A. I may call you back just to hear your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. I am very anxious to meet you also. I am thinking of returning very soon, but I am also contemplating going to Russia. So on my way back I may go there to Russia for a few days and then to U.S.A. Although I am Indian materially, still I have adopted U.S.A. as my father-land and you are all my fathers. In India I had one father who raised me a Krishna Conscious child but in America I have got many fathers who are reminding me always of Krishna. Therefore I will always wish to live under your care.
It is so much encouraging that you have got a very nice temple and that already there are six students living there and following the regulative principles. Anyone who you recommend, I shall immediately initiate him. So take advantage and enchant those who are coming by your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. You will be victorious. And try to introduce our books there and it will be a great missionary success. One Krishna book sold means we go forward one step in our Krishna Consciousness. We should always remember this. Now the second part of KRSNA book is available, so take them from Karandhar.
So far as waiting for sending Deities, that is all right. Although there is no Deity, still this Hare Krishna Mantra is considered to be the sound vibration incarnation of Krishna. Actually we should give more stress in worshiping the incarnation of sound vibration but whenever there is possibility of installing Deities and strictly following the regulations of worship, we shall do that; but the essential part of our activities is to worship the sound incarnation.

[text missing]

You will be glad to know that Subala Maharaj is now in Bombay and he is going to Delhi for preaching work. Here in Bombay we are having a huge Sankiran Yajna, called "Bhagavata Dharma Discourses, a Hare Krishna Festival" where 20,000 to 30,000 people are attending daily for chanting, lecture, arati and prasadam distribution. So here in Bombay preaching work is very successful. Many important men are becoming interested. Most probably we will have our permanent center here soon.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb Austin, Texas P.S. While posting this letter, Sriman Gargamuni Maharaja has just arrived in Calcutta from Pakistan East.