680224 - Letter to Brahmananda written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1968

A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI
Camp: ISKCON- Radha Krishna Temple
5364 W. Pico Blvd., L. A., Cal. 90019

February 24, 1968

My Dear Brahmananda,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 19 Feb. 1968, and am so glad to learn that you have delivered the manuscript of Bhagavad gita to McMillan & Co. on the date of my Guru Maharaj's birthday ceremony. The questionnaires which you have sent me I am answering them on separate typed paper and both the questions and answers are enclosed herewith. Please find and do the needful. I have also received the letters from Mario Windisch. This gentleman appears to be a disciple of my German god-brother Sadananda Swami. He appears to be very much interested in our movement and very shortly he is visiting Montreal. Perhaps I may meet him in June when I shall go there and there is every possibility of opening two centers. One in Sweden and another in Austria. Regarding glossy photo, I am writing to Guru das but I think Rayarama has got many specimens of my photograph. If you so desire, you can select one of them. I am also writing to Gurudas in this connection. I understand that you have ordered some books from Gaudiya Math and Mr. Kalman is cooperating.

Regarding printing in India, I have already sent you a specimen copy of printing which is being done in India, and if so desired, such printing work can be done in India without difficulty. But, if Dai Nippon Co. agrees to your letter of which you have sent me the copy then you can hand over the manuscript to them as early as possible. Regarding the purchase of press, I do not know what is the condition of the press but I want a full complete press where all kinds of books can be printed. If our men can take charge of a nice press either in New York or in India, that will be an ideal proposition, but the press which you propose to purchase is not equipped for printing our books. If Mr. Kalman can equip the press for printing our books, Bhagawatam esp., and other books also, and if our boys and girls can efficiently take up the printing work, that will be very nice. If we have got a press in our control with full equipment it will be a great boon. If such manipulation is not possible, then I wish to start a nice press in our Indian branch and get all our books and printing work done there. For a nice arrangement of our Indian branch I am already in negotiation with Indian friends and I have proposed a big industrialist to become the president of the Indian branch. In India labor is very cheap in comparison with your country, and especially if we have our Indian branch in Vrindaban we can have labor there as our inmates of our institution. There are many Vaishnavas who will be ready to work without any renumeration simply in exchange of their food and lodging. If we take American machines there and some of our American students to see the management we can get there labor practically without any charges, but this idea can be done as said when we get a nice house to accommodate everything. The proposed branch in Kanpur is not yet settled. I have received one letter from Acyutananda which is not very much encouraging. Rayarama may not start for India until there is nice arrangement for our Indian branch. His going away from New York at present will be a great hamper for BTG work. As intimated by you I am awaiting Rayarama's letter in respect of the press and printing works in India. In the meantime, if you get confirmation from Dai Nippon agreeing to accept $5000 for TLC then you can get them printed without delay. Regarding the sketch cover of Bhagavad Gita, Govinda Dasi promises to send you by the next week.

Your ever well-wisher,