720902 - Letter to Lalitananda written from New Vrindaban, USA

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: ISKCON New Vrindaban

DATE ..............September..2,.19.72

My dear Lalitananda,

Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your letter dated August 26, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully, along with your check for $50, which has been duly deposited in my Book Fund. Thank you very much. As for your questions, Lalitananda means one who takes his pleasure from Lalita, who is one of the chief Gopis around Krishna. So you are the servant of one who takes his bliss from Lalita. Yes, if there is arrangement for swinging the deities sometimes, that is all right. Anything may be done which will be pleasing to the Lord, and He is often fond of swinging motions. You may place cows and peacocks on the altar at Montreal, that will be nice. So far I am concerned, I have no objection if there is carved form of guru on the Guru-Gouranga altar, but one thing, is unless that sculptor is very excellent, it should not be attempted. How will you get photos from all angles of vision for the carving process? Unless it can be done very nicely, just perfectly realistic, he should not do it. Yes, God is always there in His Archa Vigraha form, either as Krishna or Rama or Chaitanya, whatever. So He must be offered all respects as if He is there personally present, and if you are always sincerely chanting and following our Krishna Consciousness programme of chanting and other things you will very quickly develop the eyes to see Krishna there.
So far installing deity in your home is concerned, better to wait until you move into the temple when you are little older. Meanwhile try and attend to the temple as often as you are able, and always without fail daily chant 16 rounds and follow the four prohibitive restrictions, and in due course of time you will feel yourself becoming happier more and more in Krishna Consciousness.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Lalitananda das Brahmachary
47 Lincoln Blvd.,
Kenmore, New York, 14217.

ACBS/sda