701218 - Letter to Bhagavan written from Surat

Letters by Date, 1970

Letter to Bhagavandas

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

December 18th, 1970
CAMP: c/o Kailash Seksaria; 74 Marine Drive; Bombay-20, India

My Dear Bhagavandas,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters November 30th and December 3d, and have noted the contents. I have not received the two sets of slides mentioned in your letter.
Yes, I have heard of your plan to open a branch in Trinidad. That will be very nice and the selected members are approved by me. The more we open branches, the more I feel encouraged. These branches are like the oasis in a vast desert. In the desert there is no water, but occasionally if one is fortunate he may come in contact with an oasis and he is saved. Similarly in this material world we are drying up due to lack of spiritual knowledge. Our ISKCON centers are meant to give relief to the dried up conditioned souls who are searching after the nectar of joyful life. So I request you and all other members of ISKCON to flood the world with Krishna Conscious centers and realize the prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu "as many towns and villages there are, my name will be known."
Yes, there is possibility of help from influential men to open a big branch in London.
Our literatures are unique in the world and we want to introduce our philosophy in learned circles, so your report of library distribution is good news for me. Keep trying to place my books in auspicious places such as libraries, universities, clubs, etc. and someday the world will realize and appreciate these transcendental literatures.
Everyone is asking me to stay at their temple when I return. So I think I shall have to expand. What do you think?
Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

Sriman Bhagavandas Adhikary
c/o ISKCON Detroit
8311 E. Jefferson Ave.
Detroit, Mich. 48214