711117 - Letter to Patty Dorgan written from Delhi

Letters by Date, 1971

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: November 17, 1971
Camp: 7-D Kamala Nagar,
Delhi-7.

My Dear Patty Dorgan,

Please accept my blessings. I have received your very nice letter of October 4, 1971, and I have appreciated the contents.

I am very much encouraged that despite so many difficulties and tricks of Maya that you are still desiring Krishna so much. Thank you very much. In order to attain the topmost perfection of this human form of life one simply has to try for Krishna with enthusiasm and patience, and all obstacles will be overcome. If you are determined in this way to be His devotee, Krishna will provide some happy solution. But even if He puts us into extreme difficulty, we must always be prepared to consider everything as His special Mercy, that He is testing my sincerity, or that this trouble is nothing to what I deserve. Just see Prahalad Maharaj. His father tried to kill him many times! At least I don't think your father is trying to kill you. And after Krishna in the form of Lord Nrsimhadev came and killed Hiranyakasipu, Prahlad prayed to Krishna to have mercy on his demon father. So we must take the instruction to respect our parents, and to be kind and very tolerant and patient with them, and very soon I promise you everything will be all right.

I am very pleased that you are chanting regularly. This will save you and protect you from all misfortunes. So chant Krishna's Name regularly, think about Him all the time, and your love for Him will keep you free from any bondage. Also, you must try somehow to avoid eating any meat, fish or eggs. Be very strong in this respect, and eventually your parents will appreciate your determination especially if you are otherwise always very kind to them.

As far as your questions, Krishna is not in need of anything, He is purnam, the Complete Whole. And yet He appreciates our love for Him, just like everyone appreciates if someone exhibits love for them. So He kindly allows us to show that love by considering that if I do not feed Him, Krishna will go hungry, if I do not give Him rest, He will be tired, like that. He reciprocates by pretending to be dependent on me, my slave, just to give us opportunity to find the real object of our loving propensity and to take pleasure by pleasing and serving Him. Everything we do should be for the reason that it gives pleasure to Krishna. Because Krishna's intimate associates give Him the most pleasure, and because they are His favorites, it pleases Him to see that these associates and close friends are also offered all respect by the devotees. Tulsidevi is part of Krishna's entourage, she is Krishna-ised or Krishna Conscious, and in this pure state she has all the qualities of Krishna, and therefore she becomes worshipable just like Krishna. There is a saying, love me, love my dog. It is like that. To approach the President is very difficult, unless you are the friend of his son or daughter, then it becomes very easy. So worship of Tulsidevi and other of Lord Krishna's Entourage is part of the total devotional attitude of pleasing Krishna.

I hope this finds you in good health and cheerful mood.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda