701200 - Letter to Unknown from Aravinda

Circa Dec. 1970

From: Aravinda

[1st PAGE MISSING]

the most famous movie actress in India, along with some Doctor, her husband. Not only did they become life-members (price is rupees 1111) but they are presently arranging another meeting for Srila Prabhupada at which will be movie people as well as some prominent Indian builders. Hari Bol! All glories to ISKCON Bombay!

Bombay is the big city, but His Divine Grace is also active in other cities – Calcutta, New Delhi (where Giriraj and Gurudas’s party are) and Vrndaban. Srila Prabhupada just sent Gurudas to Vrindaban to check the prospect for purchasing one temple and compound on the bank of the Yamuna at Keshighat. His Divine Grace says it is a very first-class building. So we shall see what Krishna desires.

Here in Bombay, Srila Prabhupada is staying in a Sita-Ram temple (a suburb of Bombay) where He is doing some translating. But he is so swapped [sic] with mail, it seems as if he has little time for that translating. By His causeless mercy, I am often engaged assisting Devananda Maharaj in taking dictation from Srila Prabhupada. No qualification. Just His causeless mercy.

We all once recently took a 36 hour train-ride up north to the city of Amritsar where I wrote you my first letter. While there we visited what was supposed to be the ashram of Valmiki, and at which was a very large bathing tank used by Sita when she was banished by Rama for having associated with Ravana. I asked Srila Prabhupada how that bathing ghat could have existed there for over a million years. He said that was not so unusual. He told how after Rama’s decision to leave Sita, Lakshman took Sita to this ashram to be under the care of the great sage Valmiki. At that time she was pregnant and gave birth to one boy named Lob. One day the boy who was under Valmiki’s care, got lost and so Valmiki, a very powerful sage, made a similar boy out of straw by the name of Kush. Then we left.

There’s so much! So here’s more: All from Srila Prabhupada’s lips.

So many things about taking prasad: When you’re sick, 85% of the problem is eating too much. Eat just what you can digest. Don’t eat when you’re sick; After prasad chant at least two rounds – four is better; When one is strong in digestion, he can take dahl and chapatties. When weak – fruit and milk, like that. Srila Prabhupada says that there is no reason for falling sick because we eat simply. Sickness is due to overloading the belly. (In this regard, Srila Rupa Goswami forbids 6 activities. If one accepts these activities, his spiritual life becomes spoiled. These are 1. Eating more than necessary or collecting funds more than necessary.2.To attempt things which are very difficult to be done.3.To talk unnecessarily.4.To accept the regulative principles blindly or to not accept the regulative principles. Example – neglecting the order of the spiritual master because you have not completed your 16 rounds, or not to chant your 16 rounds. (Even if there is a contradiction from a past instruction from the spiritual master, your business is to accept the most recent order!)5.Greediness.6.To intermingle with ordinary class of men.)

More about prasad: By nature, unless animals are hungry, they’ll not eat. When diseased, they’ll not eat, and also children, when diseased will not eat. So we have to play the natural part. Unless we feel hungry, we should not eat. If you become hungry just by seeing, that is not good. It is better to eat less. Vedic medicine is called Auyervedic [Ayurvedic]. By the Ayurvedic process, you eat ½ of what will fill you. Then fill ¼of your belly with water or liquid and leave ¼ of the belly empty for air. As a result, there will be good digestion.

Prasadam can never be contaminated. You should take left-over prasadam on the guest’s plate as well as on the sick man’s plate, as well as “old” prasadam. It is simply a question of faith. Srila Ragunath Das Goswami was collecting old rotten rice. His fathers’ income was 1,200,00 in those days, now worth 100 times more and He was doing like that.

Sugar can be taken by brahmacharies during the week. When asked if he said they weren’t supposed to, Srila Prabhupada said “I never said that.” Sugar should be taken in moderation, is all.

Everyone is jealous if someone becomes better than another in the material world, but to the spiritual master or the father if the son does better it is to his credit and he is pleased. (His Divine Grace was praising the preaching of Giriraj).

Once who does not take to Krishna Consciousness diligently, he is committing suicide.

Dreaming means the day’s activities remembering”. Therefore we are chanting and engaged in devotional service 24 hours.

Liberation means knowing our constitutional position. One remains in a liberated state simply by reading Krsna book.

The Deity – if someone considers this is stone or wood, that is naradhama. Deity is incarnation of God presented Himself just so we can catch hold of Him. God can’t be caught but by His devotee.

There are eight kinds of Deities: stone, wood, jewel, metal, mind, [cut off]

If you hear from a pure devotee, then things become so clear that it is pleasing to the ear and the heart. (If it is not clear, it will not be pleasing). Because you are dependent on Krsna, it is your business to surrender.

So often we want to blame someone for some unfavorable occurrence. Srila Prabhupada said that the wise man never blames anyone for any disturbance, knowing that they take place automatically. That is the way of the material nature.

Vedanta sutra says that you should see through the scriptures.

For Krishna one should do what is favorable and give up what is unfavorable. That is the defect in India; they won’t give up a farthing. (Twice daily we have artik ceremony for Srila Prabhupada’s Deities. In the evening, so many people come and in the early morning, not a one.) Whatever progress we are making, it is due to following the regulative principles – 4 rules, rising early, etc. and we will “challenge those rascals who claim to be of the Vedic culture” by keeping such regulation.

On becoming Supreme: If everyone wants to be the king, who shall be the subjects?

Earlier I mentioned one Srimati Sumati Morarji of Scindia Steamship Co. She is such a wonderful elderly lady. She told us how she first met Srila Prabhupada. One day some years ago she saw one saffron clad sadhu sitting under a tree just outside her door. She asked Him (Srila Prabhupada) “Why are you sitting under that tree?” He replied “because I have no place to stay. After some conversation, she told Srila Prabhupada “Then come with me and I’ll give you a place to stay where you can cook and write”. She soon after paid for the publication of His Srimad Bhagwatam and booked him passage aboard the Jaladuta on Aug. 13th, 1965 headed for U.S.A. Srila Prabhupada wrote her back how the captain of the ship was a meat-eater and how He was feeling so sea-sick and that only Krishna was helping Him through this ordeal.

The priestly class (brahmanas) have spoiled the culture of India. They’re afraid of this movement, just as are the Christians. “You are sad that a part of our country has been taken by Pakistan – from Hindustan but if you take up this Krishna Consciousness Movement, I am sure the whole world will become Hindustan.”

His Divine Grace will soon be engaging Scindia Shipping Co. once again. You’ll be glad to know that the new L.A. and Boston Deities, which are now being docked by customs in Calcutta, are being cleared by His Divine Grace and very soon they’ll be set sail for U.S.A. All glories to His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada!

Please offer my most prostrated obeisances to all the Prabhus there, hoping that they are all well and strong in the service of His Divine Grace. I shall try to write again soon.

Your most unworthy servant,

Aravinda Das Brahmachary

P.S. If you could somehow distribute some of this nectar to the other centers…