721026 - Letter to Cyavana written from Vrndavana

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: October 26, 1972
Camp: ISKCON Vrindaban.

My dear Chayavana,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated October 16 and 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. Brahmananda is collecting many life-members in Zambia, and if there is financial crisis there in Nairobi, why not he should send you the money he is collecting? He is not going to open centres there, there are not enough men to manage, so I think he can send you that money. But try to persuade [handwritten] Shah and Damji to leave their money with us as gift. Why they are giving to Krishna then taking back? Both are rich men, out of sentiment they have been offended, so try to pacify them as best you can, then they will give.
I am glad to hear that the street sankirtan and distribution of our books and magazines is going on well, especially the programme of Hindus donating magazines for free distribution to the Africans. If Subalavilasa wants to marry that African girl, I have no objection but whether she wants to marry him? Also, take the consent of her parents and elder brothers. Such marriage may be good propaganda for our movement in Africa, but if there is any disturbance caused by it, that will be disaster, just like we saw with the Sarna girls. So you must judge whether the match will be favorable on the point that it must not cause any disturbance either in the girl's family or in the local community.
Yes, try to encourage the Life Members to give more, and organize nicely for always supplying them with books so that they may not become dissatisfied.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Chayavana das Brahmachary
ISKCON Nairobi

ACBS/sda