690928 - Letter to Hansadutta written from Tittenhurst, UK

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

CENTER: TITTENHURST PARK,
TITTENHURST HOUSE
Ascot, Berkshire, ENGLAND

DATE ......September..28th,.....1969..

My Dear Hansadutta,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 23rd, 1969 along with your check for $250. I have ordered for 4 pairs of Deities, and as soon as they arrive I shall give you one pair. Regarding your question about faith in devotees, faith must be there. But we should always take instruction from devotees who are considered to be elevated. A preacher's position is like this: He should have firm faith and love for Krishna. He should make friendship with devotees. He should be very much charitable and kind to the neophytes, and he should avoid the company of non-devotees. This program suggests, of course, that a devotee who is not in the neophyte stage can discriminate what is Krishna, what is devotee, what is neophyte and what is non-devotee. Unless one is able to discriminate, he is to be considered to be in the neophyte stage. In the neophyte stage, the position is that the neophyte devotee worships the Deity in the temple with great awe and reverence, but he cannot discriminate who is devotee, who is non-devotee and who is neophyte. I think you must be in the second stage and should try to discriminate as above. Any devotee wanting to see you should be welcomed, but your treatment should be according to his position.

I am so glad to learn that you have so quickly improved the center by the Grace of Krishna. So, conduct business very carefully and cautiously. When Krishna gives us opportunity, we should never misuse it. I am confident that you and Himavati are very considerate. So you arrange things in such a nice way that the center improves more and more daily, as Tamal is handling in Los Angeles. If you deal with the students cautiously and carefully, many of them may embrace this Krishna Consciousness Movement, and even a few of them turn to Krishna Consciousness on account of your endeavor, Krishna will be so much pleased upon you and bestow His benediction. So you can keep the extra money in the bank carefully, and whenever there is excess money, you can spare it for the book fund and press organization, which I have taken now very seriously. So far as I understand, to install the press, there is about a $5,000 deficiency.* Brahmananda informed me of this, and I have assured him that he should not worry, I shall try to manage for it.

So far as you are thinking about me, I always think about you and your wife, how beautiful devotees you are. May Krishna bless you more and more. Things here in England are satisfactory, and I am meeting some interested important Indian gentlemen, who may take also seriously this Krishna Consciousness Movement. Regarding your two questions from Bhagavad Gita, in both instances, the reference is made to the Supersoul or Krishna.

Regarding Vedanta Sutra tapes, I can send them to you when I return to Los Angeles, because the books and reference books are there. You mention in your letter that you have a very good typist there. If he can handle a Composer machine as we have purchased in Columbus, that will be a great help because as soon as we start our press, we shall require so many composed matters for printing into books. The IBM machine is very nice in this connection. If he can handle such machine, then you can try to secure such machine and we can send manuscripts for composing. First of all, see whether he sticks with us and becomes seriously engaged in our activities. Then consult with the people for Composer machine. That will be a great help.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

* They will require $20,000.00 for establishing the press. [Handwritten]