720102 - Letter to Von Paul Reed written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ISKCON , 89 Warden Road,"Akash-Ganga" Building,
Bombay-36.
2nd January, 1972

My Dear Von Paul Reed,
Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter dated 15th December, 1971. I am very pleased that you and your family have decided to join our Krishna consciousness movement seriously, and I thank you also for the dakshina you have sent.
Your proposal for establishing a Krishna Consciousness community on the land which you have is very good. Whenever we get some land available we should take the opportunity to develop it into an ideal community as envisioned for New Vrindaban. We can have a great many such communities all over the world so that people everywhere can see how by leading a pure and simple life of Krishna consciousness, all one's needs in life can be satisfied. Actually, the so-called civilization of the Kali yuga with its over industrialization, have not been able to give to man the happiness he is seeking. So as you say that your land is very suitable for cow protection and for Tulsi to grow, then Krishna is giving you the opportunity to develop this program. Protect some cows, grow crops, and if possible provide fresh milk and butter for the Temples near by. And the rest of the time chant Hare Krishna and read my books. In this way you can live very peacefully without any disturbances from anyone.
Please offer my blessings to your good wife and son and to the other devotees at ISKCON Seattle. I hope this meets you in the best of health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. Sometimes it so happens that we have to suffer for our past sinful activities. But because we have taken to Krishna Consciousness and serving Krishna, we should know that any suffering we have to bear have been far reduced by the mercy of the Lord. Suffering must be there so long as we are conditioned in this material world, but for the devotees the suffering is minimized compared to that of the non-devotees. We have to tolerate any difficulties which come up, and somehow go on with our chanting, reading and routine work.

ACBS:tkd