670414 - Letter to Kirtanananda written from New York

Letters by Date, 1967

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INC.
TWENTY SIX-SECOND AVENUE NEW YORK N.Y.10003 TELEPHONE:674-7428

April 14,1967
ACHARYA:SWAMI A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA
TRUSTEES:
LARRY BOGART
JAMES S. GREENE
CARL YEARGANS
RAPHAEL BALSAM
ROBERT LEFKOWITZ
RAYMOND MARAIS
STANLEY MOSKOWITZ
MICHAEL GRANT
HARVEY COHEN

My Dear Kirtanananda,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 12th instant and have noted the contents very carefully. It is very pleasing to learn that you had very good Kirtan on the 11th instant night with many devotees. Forget everything and go on with your Kirtan that will bring us all transcendental bliss. I received all letters from Janardan and I have duly replied to them including one meant for his grandmother who is ailing for some time past. You are all good souls and therefore Krishna has sent you all for giving me [handwritten] chance to serve Krishna.

Regarding permanent Visa from Canada it is very welcome suggestion. As I have told you several times that I want at least twelve trained devotees and let us tour all over the world for preaching the gospel of Krishna Consciousness. That will satisfy me. Now we have both records and books and I have ordered for more books from India and I have now money to print the Geetopanisad. Janardana's friend Mr. McGill certainly can help me in this connection. Why not make me an Hon. teacher in the Religion Department for teaching the cult of Lord Chaitanya which is the living religion of the world. All other religions of the world are carried by more sentiments than philosophy but Chaitanya cult is full of philosophy and transcendental sentiments or emotions. I am enclosing herewith certificates of my bonafides and see if you can arrange for my Permanent Visa from Canada. Mr. Ypslanti the Lawyer for my Visa asks me not to go to Montreal because as soon as I cross the border of U.S.A. I shall not be allowed to enter U.S.A. until I return to India and apply for new visa. And He is simply taking time to draw some more fees. Under the circumstances if it is possible for me to get Canadian permanent Visa through the good office of Mr. McGill then I can immediately start for Montreal. Please let me know how far it is possible and if Janardan has made any progress in this connection.

"Why we cannot eat [handwritten] meat", to answer this question the straight reply is that "because Krishna does not eat meat". We are concerned with Krishna Consciousness so our eating is dependent on Krishna Consciousness. We cannot eat, cannot do, cannot think, cannot will or can do nothing without Krishna consciousness. By nature one has to eat some weaker living being and therefore animals are eaten by man, vegetables are eaten by animal or the weak is eaten by the strong and therefore one living being is eaten by another stronger living being. But there is a systematic rules and principles for eating and a human being is to eat Krishna Prasadam. If Krishna would have eaten meat, we would have also eaten His meat Prasadam. We are concerned with Krishna Prasadam. In this connection please consult my writing in Srimad-Bhagavatam third volume page 822 One living being is the food for the other also please consult page 984 "The principles of Cow Killing"

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Enclosure: 3 + 1 letter from N.Y.U [handwritten]