680130 - Letter to Satsvarupa written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1968

Tridandi Goswami
AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society For Krishna Consciousness

CAMP: ISKCON Radha Krishna Temple
5364 W. Pico Blvd.
5364 Los Angeles, Calif.

DATED ....January...30................1968...

My Dear Satsvarupa,

Please accept my blessings. I am just in receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, along with a copy of Srimad Bhagwatam 316/1, beginning from page 1708. I have sent 1 tape this morning, probably you are getting tomorrow. So far I have received your edited copy of Srimad Bhagwatam it is very nicely done. For the last few days I am feeling a little trouble in my brain. There is a buzzing sound always which sometimes disturbs me, and therefore my tape recordings in dictaphone has become a little slow, but I will go on sending tapes as far as possible.

I understand that some of our students are in Boston, and they are not attending the Temple or cooperating with you. This means they are under the clutches of Maya more or less. After all, Krishna Consciousness is difficult job for less intelligent persons. But one who understands Krishna Consciousness and acts accordingly, he should be accepted as spiritually the strongest man. In the Chaitanya Charitamrita it is said that persons who take to Krishna Consciousness are supposed to be the most intelligent man.

I have received one letter from Krishna devi and I have asked her to come here and settle up the misunderstanding. Her husband Subal is here with me and he is very peaceful sincere boy. If Krishna devi doesn't come back and live with him peacefully, then his decision is to live alone without any wife. I think this boy can do so. Anyway, if Krishna devi comes we shall see things nicely mitigated.

Regarding Maharishi Mahesh: I do not know much about his activities, but so far I have heard that he has got his particular type of mantra which he sells for $35. And there are hundreds of students for being cheated by him. Anyone who does not know the science of Krishna is a great fool, and if he poses himself as Spiritual Master, he must be cheating the public without any doubt. Your process of discouraging friends in the matter of their being cheated by such misnomer is very good. You know that out of many millions of people, somebody tries to be spiritually advanced. And out of many millions of spiritually advanced men, hardly there is one who understands Krishna Consciousness. So, in your country there are many who may be spiritually inclined, but because they want to be cheated, Krishna sends them many kinds of cheaters to bewilder them. It is understood that Maharishi Mahesh says that one can drink, and at the same time make advancement in meditation, is clearly a cheating process. But what can be done, your countrymen also wants to be cheated like that. They want to continue their illicit sex relationships, intoxication habit, meat eating, and all other nonsensical things, and at the same time they want to make spiritual advancement. This is clear indication of being cheated; nobody can make any advancement in spiritual life keeping himself conditioned by the above sinful activities. So you can judge yourself what is the position of the so-called Maharishi Mahesh, and try to help your friends in such a way. There is no need of talking with people who are interested in the Maharishi Mahesh, but if you have any sympathetic friends, you can let him know how the cheating process is going on. I do not think that his disciples claiming advancement in spiritual life is bonafide.

Hope you are all well.

Your ever well-wisher,

Satsvarupa Brahmachary
ISKCON
95, Glenville Avenue
Allston, Massachusetts