720608 - Letter to Giriraja written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1972

Letter to Giriraj (Page 1 of 3)

Letter to Giriraj (Page 2 of 3)

Letter to Giriraj (Page 3 of 3)

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER:
                  Los Angeles, ISKCON

DATE ....June..8.................19..72.



My Dear Giriraj,

Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter from Bombay dated May 30th, 1972, and noted all the contents. Yes, by Krishna's Grace we have a very responsible task before us, so combinedly we should do it nicely so that everything goes on systematically. Rupa Goswami says that the things are enthusiasm, patience, conviction, acting exactly to the order of the Shastra and Guru, and always keeping oneself in the society of devotees, and this makes our devotional service successful. So our serious students should follow Rupa Goswami's advice.

Mr. Pandiya's suggestion for the housing society is very much appreciated by me, and it is very good proposal. We cannot give the control of the house to anyone and everyone. So your idea is alright, the housing society should be registered in the society's (ISKCON) [handwritten] name and we should pay the tax 70,000/. [handwritten]

Thank you for sending the books to Brahmananda, so you should also send him bill, collect, and deposit in the book fund. If you have paid 100% of BTG money into the book fund account already, that is alright, you haven't got to pay twice. You should inform Ksirodaksayee what you have already paid into the BTG Book fund account. Did Ksirodaksayee send any bill? According to that bill you must pay, then the account will be nice. But if he has not sent you a bill, and you have paid the rest into the book fund, you haven't got to pay him. But in future he should always send bill and you should settle up with him accordingly. Now Guru das has gotten the import license, so whatever books are sent from here, the whole amount should be spent for building. Books sent from here should be considered as a contribution to the building work in India. Now we are printing many small, attractive booklets at ISKCON Press and I think they will sell like anything in India also. So in the future we shall see about getting these small books printed in Japan and send them in profuse quantities to India.

If you have a crown dipped in gold for the Bombay Deities, you must keep them very carefully. I understand that sometime ago one crown was stolen from Krishna's Head despite the presence of one brahmacari who was sleeping there and did not even hear the thief coming. So we must take very great precaution to always protect the Deities from all kinds of danger. One thing is, if we make our Deity worship program extremely opulent and gorgeous, and if all of the devotees are always attending aratrika and holding kirtan in front of the Deities, that will be the best program for attracting the Indian people to Krishna Consciousness Movement. So you try to give the pujaris all assistance to improve the standard of Deity worship and always render Radha and Krishna the most sincere attention.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Giriraj dasa Brahmacari c/o ISKCON Bombay

ACB/sda

n.b. I am in receipt of your letter dated June 5, 1972. I was not here, I was in Portland, Oregon, and am just now coming back. I think all the points are already replied, still I say that the land should be registered in ISKCON's name and pay the tax of Rs. 70,000. This is a good idea. And you can introduce the Bhetnama system, whereby one person purchases the use of one room or some rooms for his lifetime, and whenever he may come to stay the room must be vacated immediately for his residence for as long as he likes, but if he leaves, someone else may use the room in his absence. This is called Bhetnama. As Mr. Chhabria has said he wants to reserve one room for the week-ends, similarly, many men are prepared to pay for this facility. We have to simply find them out. All good men should spend their week-ends with us, away from business, and they may bring family and it will be Vaikuntha in Hare Krishna Land.
The deity program must be improved very gorgeously. Flower garlands should be expanded, and all expenditures for the deities must be expanded without any miserly contemplation. Our temple should be so gorgeously decorated that we shall excel all Bombay temples. This is my idea. Try to fulfill it. When they hear that we decorate our deities so gorgeously, people will throng, and on festival days especially, like Janmasthami, Julan Yatra, etc. So four or five devotees should be always engaged in deity worship.

ACBS

Giriraj: Will you kindly post enclosed
letter to Russia? U.S. addresses might
arouse suspicion. Enclosed thread &
gayatri for Paramhansa.   Jai !
Shyamsundar das

P.S.  Dhananjaya in London has
recommended initiation for Yash a dasi
and Kirtan dasi, but I understand they
are in Bombay. Do you recommend they
should be initiated still?