751112 - Letter to Mr. K. T. Desai written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1975

Hare Krishna Land
Juhu Road
Juhu, Bombay 400 054

12 November 75

Mr. K. T. Desai
Kambli Block
Nehru Road
Ville Parke East
Bombay 57

Dear Mr. Desai,

I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 14, 1975 with your enclosed article. You mention God, but who is God? If you do not know who is God, then how can you say that He is the Super Joy?
You mention transcendental meditation, but what is transcendental meditation? We do not find it in any authorized scripture, but jnana-yoga is there in the Vedic literature and the yogis practice this type of yoga. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gita 6th Chapter very nicely. And in the other Vedic literature we find that a yogi by concentrating his mind can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart. Bhagavad-gita states:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. (BG 6.47)
So this is the perfection of meditation. One must have faith and great love for the Supreme Lord. He must be a devotee. Therefore bhakti is the perfection of meditation.
I do not know what is this transcendental meditation, but I have seen so many advertisements for transcendental meditation in America wherein it was advertised there is no need of religious principles or regulative principles nor is any faith required. But our Vedic culture is chiefly dependent upon regulative principles. It is not possible to perform meditation without performing regulative principles. So in your article, if you support your statements with quotations from the Vedic literature, then we can publish it. Otherwise we regret that we cannot do anything.
So far meditation is concerned, sex life is strictly prohibited. But the followers of the transcendental meditation, they do not follow this principle.

Regarding education, that education begins when one understands that he is not the body, but where is that education? That you will find in Krsna consciousness.

Yours, sincerely,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/BS/mdd