731012 - Letter to Hansadutta written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1973

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

DATE 12.10.1973
CENTER Gandhi Gram Rd., Juhu, Bombay-54
6900 Heidelberg 23,
Karlsruher Strasse 31
West Germany

My Dear Hansadutta:
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your GBC report dated October 4, 1973 and I thank you very much for it. So your Samkirtan Parties are collecting very nicely, especially Amsterdam. As long as we go on preaching in this way, we will not starve. It is good that the Berlin party is travelling. To be stagnant is not good. Just like I am an old man, but I am always travelling. I am glad that the Hamburg Deity worship is going on nicely. Wherever there is Deities there must be first class care, aratik, bhog, cleanliness, dressing, regular classes. If this is not possible, then better to travel. Your translation process is very good, so do it nicely.
So you are doing excellent preaching [handwritten], while I am here fighting with Mrs. Nair. I want that when this business is finished to return for Europe or America, perhaps via Africa. You will be pleased to know that the London devotees that you have trained in Samkirtan and book distribution are doing very nicely. This past month they have sent dollars 10,000 to Los Angeles against their debts. Mukunda is there in charge, and Shyamasundar is here in India.
The German devotees I have seen both in Paris and Stockholm have impressed me by their enthusiasm..It is very encouraging, so train them nicely. The Germans are very intelligent, and they will be the future preachers. So give them nice translations of my books and you will have tremendous success in Germany. Our success is our enthusiasm. So everything we do should be done with enthusiasm, the chanting, reading, and following the rules and regulations.
Regarding the Festival programs, you should not stop because it is not economic. You can earn from bookselling and then spend for the festivals. The festivals are very good for attracting the people, then you can easily inject the Krsna conscious poison into them.
You are experienced, senior member of the society, and Krsna has given you excellent opportunity for organizing Central Europe. I am sure you will be able to do something in Moscow. The young men there, are eager, only the government is a barrier. It is a good field there, you simply have to find the means, but rest assured that you will find many customers there.
Regarding your service as secretary, you are as good as the others, and sometimes better than the others, so don't say like that. I am very satisfied on you and your good wife, so go on serving Krsna with greater enthusiasm. That will make me happy. Actually everyone one of you my disciples are good, and my task is to find out the fault in you. Yes, just like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His spiritual master simply found Him to be a great fool number one. He said that the Lord was unfit to read Vedanta and should just chant Hare Krsna..
Your emphasis [handwritten] on book distribution is very good. You have enough centers. Let more devotees come, then consider opening more. The bus program is successful everywhere, so continue it.
I hope this meets you and your good wife in best of health.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs

Sriman Hansadutta Das Adhikari
ISKCON
6900 Heidelberg
Karlaruher Street 31
West Germany

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ISKCON
Gandhi Gram Rd
Juhu Bombay-54
India