760918 - Letter to Dixit written from Vrndavana

Letters by Date, 1976

ISKCON
International Society For Krishna Conciousness INC.
Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

May 11, 1976
Reprint of letter dated
Sept. 18, 1976

Vrindavan, India

My Dear Dixit das,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 14th Sept. 1976 and have noted the contents with care. I am very much pleased to understand that although you are now living away from Vrindavana, your mind is here. That is a very good sign. This is the symptom of loving affection for Krishna.

I have constructed this temple and all my other temples so that at least some educated retired men shall live here without any material desires, but at the present moment people are so educated that even up to the point of death they cannot give up the enjoyable items, namely money and women. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore recommends niskincanasya bhagavata bhajano 'numukhasva.

So if anyone is very serious to go to the other side of this material ocean for him to be completely freed from material attachment is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately people are reluctant to give up material association: that is the difficulty.

So wherever we may remain we can chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra without any offense and that will help us in the future how to become detached from visaya and yosit, or sense gratification and women.

So far our Gurukula is concerned, we require some practical assistant who can teach the boys how to be controlled in the mind and senses, how to rise early in the morning, chant the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra, go to the Yamuna for bathing, then study some Vedic literatures like the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam, remain always for the benefit of the guru, and work for him as a menial servant. These things are recommended for the brahmacary. You will find the statement in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Seven, Chapter Twelve as follows, brahmacary gurukule vasandanto gururohitam . I want my gurukula should be in that way, we don't want big big scholars, for doing research work; what research work they will do? Everything is in perfect order in the Vedic scriptures summarised so beautifully in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita is the primal study.

So we want to introduce this system of education for the boys who are at the kaumara age. That is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha. So this is the practical application in life of the education mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am also practically finding that if any of our students artificially try to become scholars by associating with unwanted persons they become

3764 Watseka Avenue . Los Angeles, California 90034

ISKCON
International Society For Krishna Conciousness INC.
Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

victimized, for a little learning is dangerous, especially for the Westerners. I am practically seeing that as soon as they begin to learn a little sanskrit immediately they feel that they have become morethan their guru and then the policy is kill guru and be killed himself.

So we shall have to teach character and spiritual understanding to the young children. To study other things as a high grade scholar is secondary for us. The first thing is to build up character and be experienced in the understanding of the conclusions of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, hari namanukirtanam, iti nirnitam—it is decided, there is no more need of research work.

So think over these matters. You are experienced and if you take up the charge of our gurukula, it will be a great relief for me, but the principles are described above—we do not want anything more or less. The principles are vividly described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and we have to follow and accept. I am glad to hear that you are coming here during Diwali holidays and you are always welcome. I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

[unsigned]

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

3764 Watseka Avenue . Los Angeles, California 90034