690318 - Letter to Hayagriva written from Hawaii

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society For Krishna Consciousness

CAMP: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ISKCON HAWAII; P.O. Box 506
Kaaawa, Oahu; Hawaii 96730

DATED: March 18, 1969

My Dear Hayagriva,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your nice long letter of March 12, 1969, and have noted the contents carefully. I hope by Krishna's Grace all will work out nicely with your job arrangements. I am glad to learn that your yoga society is going on nicely. Regarding Pradyumna: I shall write to him in this connection, and when I come there in May, I shall see the situation and make the suitable arrangements as necessary.

Regarding Srimad Bhagavatam: No it is not possible to delete so much of the books. We will print it ourselves. We do not find any special facility being published by MacMillan, so we shall publish on our own press. That is the best idea. And Brahmananda is organizing a special department for book selling.

So far I understand, Naranarayan will arrive and I shall send also Vamanadev. Most probably Vamanadev and Murari will go there so you will have ample hands to construct buildings. In the meantime, when I go there we shall do things according to plan and with the help of these boys who are our carpenters. My ambition is that we shall have all editorial staff, all artisans, and conduct our press there to print at least four books yearly and 50,000 copies of BTG.

So far Syama dasi is concerned, she is very good girl, and I am very much pleased to hear that she is typing so nicely the Srimad Bhagavatam. You are good couple, work combinedly in this way. I am disturbed to hear she is feeling some chest pain and fainting, but I do not know what is the matter . . . it is all right if she wants to rest, and can go to her grandfather's house not far away.

So far the living arrangement is concerned, the grihasthas should be given chance to live together as husband and wife. If not, then all the girls can stay in a place and all the boys can stay in a place, if there is not sufficient space.

So far the Brahmacaries, you cannot check the association with householders. But their living should be separate. Kirtanananda Maharaj may be the supreme authority for the New Vrindaban center, but the management should be entrusted to the Brahmacaries and next the Grihasthas. He should not directly interfere with the management—he can simply give direction and the Brahmacaries and Grihasthas can carry out the management.

During Kirtan time, all members should assemble together. Only at night they should live separately. And Kirtanananda Maharaj should live and associate with Brahmacaries. Best thing is that he should be completely aloof from everyone, and assisted by one Brahmacary. But he should be the man in charge to give direction. So far as the two of you working in conjunction, you and Kirtanananda Maharaj, whatever is practical can be adopted in this connection.

I shall most probably reach there by the 10th of May, and if not called by London, then I may live there all summer to construct New Vrindaban, and the press affairs.

I hope you are all well, and please convey my blessings to Syama dasi, and all the students there, and I shall be happy to see you in May.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami