691003 - Letter to Brahmananda 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 ....October..3rd,.........1969..

My Dear Brahmananda,

Please accept my blessings. Replying your letter dated September 28th, 1969 and October 1st, 1969, I beg to inclose herewith a check for $4,000 in favor of Iskcon NY, and the copy of the letter addressed to First National City Bank is also sent herewith. So you can utilize this check in the matter of press. I shall talk with Tamal what money he has or hasn't got. In the meantime, the transaction may not be delayed, and therefore I am sending this check for $4,000. I hope this settles up the press question. Regarding New Vrindaban, last time I advised Hayagriva to wait transferring the property till the lease amount is paid in full. It is understood that he saves $700 per year on account of his being in the lease holder's name. So he has to pay $500 per year, but he is saving $700 from his income tax. Under the circumstances, I think that why should we pay this $500 per year from our pocket? Better it is paid from this $700 saving from income tax. So we may wait the transfer of the property till the stipulated lease amount is paid in full in the above way. Then the property may be transferred to the society's name. This is one thing. Another thing is that just at the present moment I do not think the society can invest any money in New Vrindaban, for the reason that we are starting this press, and until this press is all established I do not wish to divert my attention to New Vrindaban. Another difficulty is that nobody is staying in New Vrindaban. Even the boy Hrishikesha has left, and recently I received one letter from Ranadir that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda are also not there. New Vrindaban is now in charge of Ranadir, so on the whole, people are not being attracted. In your next president's meeting, you can consider these points. Tamal is trying to purchase some very nice property in Beverly Hills. The project is to establish there a nice Iskcon library to attract the richer class of men in that area. I do not know how far we shall be successful in this attempt, but if we are successful in purchasing a property there, it will be a great stride for our propaganda work. It is understood that the most selected persons of the Western world, both Europeans and Americans, they live in that quarter of Los Angeles. So why not a center there? That is the contemplation.

Regarding Macmillan, I think the matter is already settled up and we have all decided to get Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto, published by them. So do the needful. Whatever you will decide together, that is my decision, and I have already informed you in this connection.

You will be glad to know that our center in Tokyo, a few miles away from the capital, in the city of Kyoto, is already established. I think you are in correspondence with Bali Mardan Prabhu. I am so glad to learn that immediately they have become self-sufficient by collecting in the kirtan program. This is very encouraging.

I am sending herewith the signed bank papers as requested by you. When you get the new passbook from the new branch, you can send it to me by registered post, or if it is necessary you can keep it with you in safe custody. I am forwarding a letter I received from Gopinath in Philadelphia, and you can do the needful. I have already informed you that there is no necessity for you to send the mango slab at present.* If it is required, I shall inform you in my next letter. In further reference to the press, do you have any plan for printing our BTG there also?

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

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Enclosure. 1 check, #108/4
4 bank slips
1 carbon of bank letter
1 letter from Gopinath [handwritten]

* please send mango slab. Just learned it is not available here. [handwritten]