750224 - Letter to Akbar Ali Khan written from Caracas
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
February 24, 1975
Governor of Orissa,
Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, INDIA.
Cazle Luis Roche No. 61
Colinas De Los Chaguaramos, Caracas, Venezuela
Personal.
My dear Akbar Ali Khan Sahib,
Kindly accept the blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since you kindly visited our temple in Vrindavana, last year when I was sick, I have not been able to write to you. I am now touring around the world. At present, I am staying at our temple in Caracas, Venezuela, South America. A few days before I was in Mexico City, Mexico and tomorrow I shall go to Miami, Florida in U.S.A. From Miami I shall go to Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Toronto, Montreal, and then London.
Our Vrindavana temple is going to be formally opened on the Sri Rama-Navami day (April 20th, 1975). Before that, our annual ceremony on the birth day of Lord Caitanya will take place in Mayapur (Dist. Nadia, West Bengal) on the 27th of March, 1975. I have invited Dr. Channa Reddy, the present Governor of Uttar Pradesh, to become the chief guest in Vrindavana at the opening ceremony. There will be 7 days of functions held. I wish to invite your Excellency to become the chief guest on one of the days in Vrindavana. Also, if you like, you are invited to come to our Mayapur festival in Nadia, West Bengal, on the 27th of March. I am trying to establish a union of spiritual culture by the Krishna Consciousness movement. You were very kind to come to our Vrindavana temple and it was very much encouraging for me. There is a verse in Bhagavad-gita:
brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param
"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." (BG 18.54)
And there is another verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati
"The Supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self." (SB 1.2.6)
The idea is that when a person becomes spiritually advanced then there is actual peace and unity. So, we are trying to establish this spiritual unity on the basis of love of God throughout the world. If you could join us during these two festivals or at least one of them, as it is convenient for you, it will be a great encouragement for me.
I hope that by this time, you must have finished reading my book, The Nectar of Devotion, which I presented to your Excellency. If you so desire, I can send you another book, The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, as soon as I hear from you. Please reply to my Bombay address: Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Rd., Juhu, Bombay 400 054, and please send a copy of that reply to my London address: Bhaktivedanta Manor, Letchmore Heath, Watford WD2 8EP, Hertfordshire, London England, U.K.
I am enclosing herewith one copy of the letter from Dr. Channa Reddy as he has accepted my invitation to the Vrindavana ceremonies.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/ps