700528 - Letter to Satsvarupa written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1970

3764 Watseka Avenue
Los Angeles, Cal. 90034

28th May 70

My Dear Satsvarupa,
Please accept my blessings and offer the same to Srimati Jadurani and others.
I am so pleased to learn that you are satisfied to see the Los Angeles Temple situation. Actually it is very, very nice to our purpose, and if we can maintain the standard of the Temple atmosphere certainly anyone who will come here will be influenced by the spiritual effect.
As I have already said many times that we have to maintain two lines parallel; namely the path of Srimad Bhagavatam and the path of Pancaratriki Srimad Bhagavatam is the path for Paramahansas, and Pancaratra path is for the neophytes. So the Temple worship is necessary for the beginners so that by following the regulative principles such devotees become more and more purified and thus gradually come on the platform to understand Srimad Bhagavatam. So we shall always keep these principles in view and maintain our centers on this standard.
Recently I have received one 'Kalyan' magazine in which our activities in the Western world have been very much appreciated. Especially they have appreciated my strong injunctions on the point of following the four prohibitive regulations. So after describing our activities, the editor has remarked in one place that things are going certainly very nicely at present, but it is God only Who knows how it will continue in the future. This means that the Indians, or the rigid followers of Vedic principles, are doubtful about my American and European students about their sticking to all these principles. So it is a God sent warning for us so that we may not deviate from the above mentioned two lines of action and thus become subject to criticism by the opposing elements.
In India there is already a party who are prepared to criticize my activities in the matter of offering sacred thread to the so-called mlecas according to their calculation. But actually whatever I am doing here, of course giving consideration to the local situation, all of them are strictly in the line of our predecessors and direction of Sanatan Goswami. Therefore my request is that all of you be determined to maintain this standard which is not very difficult to follow that I have introduced.

I am so glad to learn that you are trying to compose at least 800 pages per month. That will enliven me very much to write more and more books for you. I have received some photographs of London Samkirtan on the Advent Day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so publish them in BTG.
The copies of the police commissioner's letter are very much encouraging, so this will be documentary evidence for executing our missionary activities. If you quote the actual wordings of the specific laws mentioned in the letter, then it will be helpful to other centers also. Actually we do not want to disturb the law and order of the state, that is not our business, but the Vedic principle to receive contribution from the devotees has to be allowed. Properly speaking, we preachers are not supposed to work, therefore we have got the right to take contribution for executing our activities.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:db

Encl. 4

Sriman Satsvarupa Das Adhikary
ISKCON Temple
38 North Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02134

P.S. Has Dinesh taken delivery of the song tape recorder?[handwritten]