771031 - Letter to Tulsi from Tamal Krsna

Vrndavana,

October 31, 1977

From: Tamal Krishna

Cato Ridge, South Africa

My dear Tulsi Das Prabhu,

Please accept my obeisances. I have been instructed by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada to thank you for your letter dated 11th October, 1977.

Your letter was a great inspiration to His Divine Grace, as your previous letter of a few months ago was. Although Srila Prabhupada has not been hearing hardly any of the mail, He sat up in bed to hear the report which you sent. His Divine Grace is very much enthused by the preaching in South Africa and considers it very important work that you are doing. He was so much interested that He even put on His glasses and looked carefully at the photographs and news clippings which you sent. Here are some of the remarks which Srila Prabhupada made personally while hearing you letter:

“It is very good news. Now increase the preaching more and more. This material world may remain or not remain, we do not mind. We have got our preaching to do. Where is such things throughout the whole world. Now the people there are getting new life.”

When Srila Prabhupada heard that all the other bogi-yogi groups such as Rama Krishna and Sivananda Ashram are being swept into obscurity He laughed for a long time very heartily: “That is my triumph. Bogus! All along I have said bogus. That is my triumph. You show them: Your society has become bogus! Vivekananda made so much propaganda. Who cares for him? And here our leader (Srila Prabhupada was referring to Himself) is lying on deathbed and things are going on. He is physically gone but things He has introduced will go on.”

“Take it very seriously because in South Africa there was no such thing before. They say for the last 30 years they never experienced such a movement. My Guru Maharaja used to say, for so long this Rama Krishna Mission and Gandhi movement remain, India will remain condemned. Gandhi suffered 20 years in Durban. He was a barrister in India and nobody cared for him. He got a case in South Africa and took the opportunity. Nobody cared for him there either. He wanted to be popular but the general masses never cared. Then when Indian National Movement began he took opportunity of becoming the leader. Here also he struggled for 30 years. But it is Subhash Bhosh’s IMA which achieved Indian independence. His movement divided India and Pakistan. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity, but it was divided. And this Krishna consciousness movement will go on. This is the genuine thing. Param vijayate sri krsna sankirtanam. Take it very seriously, and not as a trifle. You are all young men. You will live. Take it seriously. You American boys, you have got intelligence, you have got resources, you have taken it up. I was thinking that if my body finished, everything would be finished. But now I am hopeful. It will not be finished. Who cares for Gandhi’s non-violence and Vivekananda’s hospitals?”

“Yes it is all Krishna’s mercy. (At this point I said to Srila Prabhupada that it was all His mercy) I have tried. What mercy I have got? Poor Indian starting without any substantial support–Rs.40, loitering in the street on 5th Avenue. After my lunch I used to go on 5th Avenue to see the Christian festivals. But now you are all helping. You go on helping. And this movement will go on increasing.”

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more such enlivening news to Srila Prabhupada. When a devotee takes up a service and it becomes successful, it is to be understood that Caitanya Mahaprabhu has empowered that devotee and is living within his service. So from the success of your activities we can understand that it is actually the desire of Caitanya Mahaprabhu that you are fulfilling. Go on increasing Krishna consciousness all over South Africa. You are very much in Srila Prabhupada’s thoughts.

Hoping this meets you in the best of health and Krishna consciousness.

Your servant,

Tamal Krishna Gosvami

Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

His Grace Tulsi Das Ahikari

c/o ISKCON Cato Ridge farm

Srila Prabhupada’s health is still very poor but He is going to Mayapur in two day’s time to be under the treatment of an especially good Kaviraj. Please pray to Krishna for His recovery.