690125 - Letter to Mahapurusa written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society For Krishna Consciousness

CAMP: 4501/2 N. Hayworth Ave.
Los Angeles, Calif. 90048

DATED: January 25, 1969

My Dear Mahapurusa,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 18, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very pleased to note that the newspaper article which you had helped arrange has resulted in much interest in our movement in Hawaii. It is also very encouraging to note that you are going out into the streets to chant and preach to the people there. This is a very good policy, and as far as possible you should continue to go out and let the local inhabitants of Hawaii become very familiar with the sound of Hare Krishna Mantra. This will insure the success of our center there, and it is also very pleasing to Krishna to see His devotee taking courage in this way. So by no means should you give up this very nice activity.

Regarding your questions, the so-called love which goes on in the material world is simply a perverted form of dasya rasa. Everything in this world is a perverted form of rasa. Just like Yasoda is loving Krishna as her Son. So this is vatsalya rasa, parental love. When Krishna is separate from Yasoda, she cried for whole life and thus became blind. In this world there is not a single instance where a mother has suffered so much in separation from her son. Therefore, it is perverted reflection of the real love. Regarding your second question, the other names of Krishna which you have mentioned, such as Gopala and Govinda are as powerful as the name Krishna.

I hope this will meet you in very good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami