760107 - Letter to Brisakapi written from Nellore

Letters by Date, 1976

Hare Krishna Land,
Gandhi Gram Road,
Juhu, Bombay 400054
Camp: Nellore, South India
7th January, 76

My Dear Brisakapi,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your letter dated December 12th, 1976. I am very pleased that we have now got such a wonderful property in the nation's capitol, Washington, D.C. The photos show that there is good opportunity to develop it into a very important center, and since you say that it is in a most aristocratic location, it is certainly Krishna's mercy. If you can make arrangements for me to meet with the President, I shall surely go.

As far as your desire to have Sita Rama Deities, it is a good idea, but you should wait for some time. First see that you have sufficient brahmins who are very well trained and qualified, then you can consider to install Sita, Rama, Laksmana, and Hanuman. They are the ideal King and it will be very suitable that They reign over the capitol of America. Now you have got Gour Nitai Deities, so you can go ahead and get Prabhupada and Bhaktisiddhanta Deities immediately. Guru and Gouranga worship is standard for all our temples.

I am very much pleased to see how much you and all the devotees have increased sankirtana in the Washington area. This you should all make your main business. For a long time there was not so much book distribution done there, but now that you are all concentrating on it there will be no shortage of anything. It is wonderful how many big books you are able to distribute.

I accept John Weber as my initiated disciple. His new name is Ramasena das Brahmachari. See that he chants daily sixteen rounds and follows strictly the rules and regulations. Similarly, I accept Krsna Gopala das, Vardhanya das, Puspuvan das, Gabhira das, Ambujaksa das, and Megha devi dasi for second initiation. Now you must hold a fire ceremony. Enclosed are the sacred threads for the brahmins. They should be allowed to hear the Gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape recording. Brahmin means to be very clean—inside by chanting the Lord's glories and outside by regular bathing. Teach everyone by your personal example. Also you must see that the brahmins are given sufficient time to read the books. Soon we shall be introducing the Bhaktishastri examination which all brahmins will be expected to pass. It will be based on Bhagavad-gita, N. O. D., Nectar of Instruction, Ishopanishad, and the small paperback books like Easy Journey. A brahmin should be pandita.

I hope this meets you in the best of health.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/tkg