691024 - Letter to Kapiladev written from Tittenhurst, UK

Letters by Date, 1969

Oct. 24, 1969

My Dear Kapiladev,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 18, 1969 and have carefully noted the contents. It doesn't matter that you were unable to remain in Vancouver because now you are serving Krishna in the Seattle temple. This is the meaning of transcendental. The devotee of Krishna is beyond the touch of time and space because these are simply external features. The only concern of Krishna's devotee is to serve Krishna to the highest level of perfection in whichever situation Krishna wishes him to remain.

Regarding Nityananda Prabhu breaking the sannyasi rod of Lord Chaitanya, the explanation is that this was to show that Lord Chaitanya was Krishna, so He had no necessity of taking sannyas. In the higher sense the Vaisnavas are meant for being members of the family of Krishna to serve as friend, to serve as parent or to serve as lover. So for such elevated devotees sannyas is superfluous. But still, Lord Caitanya took sannyasa just to prove it factually that so far as the material conditions are concerned, they must be given up. Without knowing this fact some so-called Vaisnavas have turned to be sahajiya. This means one who takes everything as very easy. All the acharyas, beginning from Lord Buddha, Shankaracharya, Ramanuja, etc., all of them renounced this world. So renunciation is required, but when one makes further progress after renunciation towards spiritual life and enters into the Pastimes of Krishna, then things become perfect. The summary is that sannyas is renunciation, which is imperative for all. Nityananda's breaking the sannyasi rod of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was with the purpose to show that Lord Chaitanya is transcendental to all material conditions.

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

Your ever well wisher,
[unsigned]
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami