720723 - Letter to Sankarsana written from Paris

New York

My dear Sankarasana,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated nil, and I have noted the contents. It is very good that you want to become very learned in Krishna Consciousness, but what good is so much knowledge without practice? Obedience must be there, so by being submissive in this way and following the direction of the temple leaders is practicing the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness. Disciple means discipline. Without discipline there cannot be any spiritual progress. Therefore our system is to follow the authority or our superiors, no that we can independently question, not this is right and this is wrong. That is not the way.

So my best advice to you is that without questioning you follow the instructions given to you by Visnujana and other leaders, and do exactly as they say, then everything will be all right. If you want to study, there is much time in the day for studying, but you must go also on Sankirtana party, that is the result or practice of your studying. Simply studying is dry and useless without chanting.

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

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