721213 - Letter to Balavanta written from Ahmedabad

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CAMP: "Hare Krishna Land,"
Gandhigram Road,
Juhu, Bombay-54, India

DATED December 13, 1972

My dear Balavanta,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I have had a good laugh and enjoyed your tricking the opponent candidates in election race, especially in front of the college students. That is a very good sign. Now I want that we shall recruit more and more our men amongst the intelligent class of men. They, because they are little educated or they have got some wealth or fame or ability, so they will be sometimes little puffed-up, but that is all right, they deserve it. Now we shall have to learn the art how to approach such higher-class of men and attract them to apply themselves to this Krishna Consciousness process of self-realization. That requires much tact, and we shall have to expect to meet all challenges by sharp minds. But if we remain always absorbed in remembering Lord Chaitanya, how He converted so many intelligent men, even sitting for three days and nights to hear them speak without Himself speaking anything, and if we remember how Krishna was so much patient to explain everything to Arjuna, even Arjuna was speaking like a fool--in this way, being always tolerant of others and appreciating their points-of-view, it will be easy matter for us to convince them gradually to join us. So you have got a very great opportunity for this kind of preaching work. You want to place yourself for public office, that is nice. But that will require your best brain how to do it. Try to win, why not? Of course we may utilize the situation to expose our philosophy and ideas, but if there is also competition spirit, that will increase our enthusiasm to preach and try to convince the citizens. So if there is again occasion for voting race, why not invite and organize some of the other devotees in your country who have got some experience to advertise, canvass, make propaganda, like that, and they may come there for few weeks at a time to help you. In this way, make big, big propaganda. Attract the public to hear our views and plans for practical welfare for the common men. You are American boys and girls, you have got the best brains, now cooperate to place this Krishna Consciousness movement at the front of all others, that is my request.
You are having difficulty with police-force, that is to be expected. This material world is so full of danger, even from our so-called "protectors." But we have got the best Protector, Krishna, so do not worry about anything police or other envious persons. In one stroke Krishna can finish them all. But you may get some relief in this connection if you can approach very carefully some leading members of the city government, or big, big men of the town, and convince them by your words and behaviour that our devotees are not in any way unworthy persons, that in fact they have left their lives of criminals to try to turn others away from being criminals, and that if simply we get a little facility we can render immense service to the cause of law and order. Like that, if you are sincere and cool-headed, they will appreciate after some time--and if only one of such big, big leaders understands the real fact, that is sufficient to stop all further cases of police attacks. But one thing is, we have not got anything to gain by "fighting the demons in the streets and courts." No, our process of solving the matter is simple, why should we unnecessarily take botheration for fighting? Only after exhausting every possibility of peaceful solution shall we fight anyone. Just like Krishna. He did not call for fighting until after every chance for settlement failed. So we shall try to overcome our opponents by, first, our words and our behaviour, and all means of friendly approach we shall attempt by sober planning, and only later, all else failing, shall we actually fight. That is our philosophy. And if we stick to these lines of politics and diplomacy as set out for us by Krishna, we shall expect always victory, without any doubt:

vatra yogesvarah krsno
yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
dhruva nitir matir mama
(B.G. XVIII, 78)

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Balavanta das Adhikary,
ISKCON Atlanta.

ACBS/sda