760604 - Letter to Bhagavan written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1976

Letter to Bhagavan dasa

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

CENTER Iskcon Los Angeles,
DATE June 4, 1976

Bhagavan das Adhikari,
ISCKON Paris

My dear Bhagavan dasa,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 17, 1976, with the enclosed Dutch edition of the Bhagavad-gita and I thank you very much. It is very nicely printed.

This book production is real progress. It is very good news to hear that you are producing so many books in the European languages. This is most pleasing to me.

Now we are starting new centres in Athens and a new building is being acquired in Rome. So as you have requested you can make a program for Rome, and I can go there just after the program in France. The program in France and Rome will be between July 26, and August 10, 1976, before I will be going on to India to officially open our Hyderabad centre.

I have heard with delight of your preaching attempts in Corsica. That is one of our businesses, to expose these rascals who are cheating and who have no spiritual asset. We don't say publicly that they are rascal, otherwise they will condemn also, but by practical action they will see and compare. Simply chant and dance, distribute prasadam, and where possible some books. Nobody will be grudged. This is our duty, yare dekha tare koha krsna upadesa. Everyone is fed up with this rascal civilization of sex and wine. How long one can artificially live on this. They have no other asset. Therefore, people are turning to Indian culture. Let us push on. Others cannot push on, they have no asset.

Your plan to compose the French books in Los Angeles is approved by me. The composition arrangements are very good here. They should always busy composing books. The article from the French-Soir I have given to Ramesvara Maharaja for possible use in connection with Back to Godhead magazine. Try to introduce Rathayatra and Janmastami, at least 4-5 ceremonies and festivals annually. I recall how in the London newspaper, The Guardian, that when our Rathayatra ceremony was taking place in Trafalgar Square, they commented that Rathayatra was rivalling to Nelson, as there is a statue of Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square. So in this way they thought that if Rathayatra goes on, Nelson will be killed.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/pks