710814 - Letter to Acyutananda written from London

Letters by Date, 1971

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

CAMP: ISKCON; 7, Bury Place; London, W.C. 1; ENGLAND
14th August, 1971

My Dear Achyutananda Maharaj,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 25th July, 1971 and have noted the contents. It is very encouraging that you are developing our Mayapur center very nicely. The fences are complete and now you are sowing some hedge plants. Do it nicely. I have seen the photos of the cottage you have proposed and it is very attractive. In the mean time I sent you one letter dated 7th August, 1971, about the article you wanted to write on Rathayatra according to the instructions of Bhaktivinode Thakur but I have received none. I hope you have already sent it. If not, send it now, but keep a copy of it.
I am glad to hear that you are harvesting rice. The crop may be saved to utilize for our members nicely. Regarding the bricks, it is a very good idea that you have ordered 10,000 bricks but as soon as the rainy season is stopped we will build our temple. So we require many lacs of bricks. So if possible, why not purchase them now and soak them in the water. Here in London we are planning a very nice temple and compound and two or three men will go to supervise the construction. In the meantime you can talk with local masons for the bricks and in my opinion you should stock more bricks. Yes, we were saved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Road. We shall always expect to be saved by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj Prabhupada. Always pray to His Lotus Feet. Whatever success we have had in preaching Lord Chaitanya's mission all over the world it is only due to his mercy.
I am so glad to hear that you are all feeling separation for me and similarly I am also feeling. Since I have seen the cottage it has attracted me to go there immediately and live with you for some time. Actually cottage life for chanting Hare Krishna Mantra is very nice but because we are dealing with the Western people, Americans and Europeans, they require some nice apartment. Therefore we have to construct a nice house for them. My Guru Maharaj's policy was to give nice facility to devotees so that they may chant Hare Krishna Mantra peacefully and make advancement. But we cannot be luxurious. As far as possible minimize the needs of our life but we shall not curtail the bare necessities.
I have received information from Tamal's letter that Gurudas is going to Delhi and also that you want to go to Delhi. That is not good. Stay at Mayapur as the leader there and in my opinion you should not leave Mayapur until the construction work is finished. Very soon I am returning to India and I shall live with you in that cottage for some time. That is my idea. Anyway, I don't wish that you should go to Delhi.
With great delight and interest I have gone through your "Eight Verses in Praise of My Spiritual Master." The style is very nice and thoughtful. May Krishna bless you to improve more and more in writing the glories of our previous acharyas and the Lord. Be engaged in glorifying the parampara system and your life will be glorified automatically thousands of times. Thank you very much.
Please offer my blessings to all the boys staying there with you and I hope you are all keeping in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

Achyutananda Swami (c/o ISKCON)
P.O. Sri Mayapur
Dist. Nadia: W.Bengal