720120 - Letter to Hansadutta written from Jaipur

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: January 20, 1972
Camp: ISKCON Bombay

My Dear Hansadutta,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 7, 1972, and with great pleasure I have noted your unbounded enthusiasm to carry out this great mission of spreading the light of love of Godhead in this hellish material world. That is the only requirement for successfully completing the perfection of the living condition, that you should always be enthusiastic to perform services unto the Lotus Feet of the Lord despite all obstacles, and then you can be assured that all of the other qualities or necessities for pure devotional service will be met, such as patience, determination, etc. and then without doubt you shall be delivered to the realm of unlimited bliss, freed from all anxieties.
So far your proposals, I agree that by utilizing our knowledge of selling by selling for Krishna, that is approved by my Guru Maharaj, so it may be done very nicely. But we must always be careful to render firstly our routine devotional practices, and maintain always the highest standards of chanting, preaching, temple worship, rising early, cleansing, street sankirtan, etc.; business is secondary to our basic routine work. If the routine Krishna Consciousness program is neglected for other things, then everything else will fail. I am very much encouraged that you are anxious to engage in making money for Krishna with oil business and to print my books profusely. If this can all be managed and still the regular temple practices go on nicely, that is best. In every case, as with the question regarding whether prospectus or magazine is better, do the best needful.
So far translating, I have made Mandali Bhadra as Chief of translating department. He shall translate comfortably and all other translations must be checked and edited and approved by him, with grammatical corrections. It is not that we may present anything crude translation and that is acceptable. No, even though the transcendental subject matter of Vedic literature is still spiritually potent despite the crudest translation, still, because we have got facility to make it perfect, that is our philosophy. When I translated Srimad Bhagwatam I had not that facility so you may notice grammatical discrepancies. But because Mandali Badra is now Head of the translating department you have got all facility to translate our books in perfect German language.
I am very glad you want to start your own press, but one thing is that you cannot close it once it is begun. When your own press is very sound and established beyond doubt, then you may call back Yogeswara. Your proposal for making records is very nice program. As for your essay on drugs and KC, do it. You may transcribe the Ajamil tapes and produce a very nice book. You may send the manuscript to Jai Adwaita or Hayagriva for editing and printing with Dai Nippon. So far making tapes of Ajamil series, I have told Los Angeles tape-making operation that they should distribute to our devotees at cost price--to non-devotee that is another thing. We should not make exorbitant profit by exploiting each other in the matter of vital Krishna Consciousness paraphernalia such as books, tapes, etc. which are vital for our preaching work and for the devotees' personal advancement in Krishna Consciousness. But if you think it is a good idea to sell such tapes for profit I have no objection. Regarding salesmanship, it is a great art. It can be used for selling KC also. I am very much engladdened that you are so much enthusiastic, and you may know it that Krishna will help such enthusiastic devotees. May Krishna bless you all round.
So far Krishna das is concerned, I have already told that he should stay there in Hamburg with you until the Germany centers are very solid and printing of literature has been made very regular and substantial. Then he may go to other places. If he wants to open other centers, I have no objection, but he should send other men to do it until things are very well established in Germany.
Hoping this will meet you and your good wife Haimavati in strong health and happy mood.
Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda