690427 - Letter to Gurudasa written from Boston
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
April 27, 1969
London
My Dear Gurudasa,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of April 20, 1969, sent along with some pictures. All the pictures you sent are very important. You are doing very laudable service by collecting some old reminiscences, and I shall do the needful in due course; there is no immediate emergency. Your idea of writing a book named Swamiji was formerly informed to me. Unfortunately, because I am travelling in so many places—from Los Angeles to Hawaii, then to San Francisco, then again Los Angeles, then New York, then Buffalo, and now I am in Boston. From here I shall go to Columbus, then to North Carolina, then to New Vrindaban, and then I may go to London if required. At that time I shall give you solid information for both the Krishna book and the Swamiji book. But for the time being all of you should concentrate your energies to occupy the house mortuary by all means. It is understood that Mr. George Harrison has given a letter of guarantee for payment of rent, but if they want further guarantee, I can ask Bank of America or any other bank to give the necessary guarantee of payment. Somehow or other you must satisfy them and occupy the house. That is the immediate program, and as soon as this is done, I shall go there to adjust things in right order. If some way or other you miss to occupy the house, then you can arrange for me some place with someone who can receive me as guest at least for one month. That also will help me in organizing things there. And what about Mataji? When she was here she assured me so many things hopeful that she wants to work conjointly. I understand that Syamasundara has gone to Mataji to build an altar. This means that she has already started the temple. She wanted me also to go to London, and I told her that as soon as opening of temple is assured, I shall go to London, leaving aside all other engagements here. But since she has departed she has not written me anything, although I have written her one letter forwarded through Malati, acknowledging receipt of her book, Mataji Charitavali.
I am little disturbed hearing from Yamuna that you are in financial difficulty there. If you can sell our Back To Godheads and our books, how there can be financial difficulty? From the month of June you will have 5,000 BTG's, and you can make 35 cents profit on BTG. So roughly calculated, even if you distribute BTG wholesale, you make minimum profit of 20 cents per copy. Thus, you can easily make $1,000 profit simply by selling BTG, and what to speak of the books? Besides that, if you have got kirtana engagements, why should there be any difficulty of finance. The only problem is you have no place to live together. That you must make immediate solution. If you have no place to live together immediately, ask Mataji to give you a place. If she does not, then secure the mortuary at any cost. If they require a bank guarantee we shall arrange for this.
Another thing, the proprosal of Mr. Gupta to give you 150 Rs is simply ludicrous, and for us it is insulting. Do you think that an American boy like you can live in India on $20? This talk means they are not very serious or important men, so you should be careful to mix with them. There is no use asking any help from these embassy men. I know they will never help our Hare Krishna movement. The government is pledged to the policy of secularism, so as soon as there is any scent of religious fervor, they at once become opposing element.
Please inform Yamuna that I have received her nice certificates, and her letter is also replied in this letter to her husband. I hope this will meet you both in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami