730210 - Letter to Satsvarupa written from Melbourne

Letters by Date, 1973

Tridandi Goswami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

February 10th, 1973.

My Dear Satsvarup,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 22nd, and 23rd and have noted the contents carefully. I am very much encouraged that you are taking this program of preaching to the college students seriously and this is very important program. Regarding your various questions. First let us understand that polygamy cannot be permitted in our society. Legally it is impossible and neither are there many of our devotees who are prepared to assume the responsibility for many wives. Therefore as I have suggested previously as they do in Christian religion they have so many convent where the women stay and they receive protection. The point is that the women must be protected and it is the duties of the leaders of our society to see that this is carried out.

Your program for those who are desiring to take sannyas is approved by me and I request that you make something concrete and distribute it to all the other GBC members and amongst yourselves you may decide who will take sannyas.

Your question in regard to marriage, we must impress upon the parties involved that Krishna Conscious marriage is not some cheap thing that may be embraced whimsically and at any time thrown off. The boy and girl must be willing to accept each other for life and be prepared to get a job if need be and live in an outside apartment and raise children. These points should be emphasised.

Regarding your preaching to individuals, you must use your discretion in this regard. But one thing. Those who come to learn must admit that they do not know who they are, or do they know who is God, and they must be prepared to take to this process. If I go to the physician and ask him will you please tell me all about medicine and I will write it down is that possible? No. You must take to the process. You must enter the medical school, take your internship and do so many things. Like this if you want spiritual knowledge you must take to the process and follow the principles. So therefore if you are spending so much time with individuals they must first admit that they do not know who they are and they do not know who is God. These two things are completely lacking in modern educational systems. And then after admitting these things they must be willing to take to the process. Then they can obtain spiritual knowledge.

As far as staying in some boys apartment, this is permissable if everyone in the house agrees to follow the principles while you are there. That is no smoking, no drinking, etc. You may also install a small altar there with a picture of Guru and Gouranga and the Spiritual Masters there and perform Mongal Arotik every morning and hold classes etc. Under these circumstances you can live in others apartments.
The point is we must not lower our position but we must educate others to come up to our standards. Regarding your writing, you must know that it is the duty of sannyas to write always to save the cripple minded man and women. In fact sannyas must do everything. I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/ms