721214 - Letter to Visvambhara written from Ahmedabad

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: December 14, 1972
Camp: "Hare Krishna Land,"
Gandhigram Road,
Juhu, Bombay-54, India

My dear Vyshwambhar,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your four questions, I am replying them one by one. But these things should not be asked until you have first of all asked them to the GBC men. Whatever they say you should accept, but if they cannot satisfy you, then you may ask. But I have answered these questions many times, why you are not learning these things? (1) So far your question about the Gopis, in the beginning there is no such question. In the beginning we have to follow the principles of devotional service rigidly, like chanting 16 rounds, regularly following the instructions of the Spiritual Master, which includes study, temple worship, samkirtan, like that. And the more one become perfect at following these principles, the more his relationship with Krishna becomes manifest. Following in the footsteps of Gopis comes in the perfectional stage. First you come to the perfectional stage, then you talk of Gopis. Going to girls and making them pregnant, then talking of Gopis, that is going on, that is nonsense. Without coming to the perfectional stage, if anyone tries to understand the Gopis he becomes a sahojiya. Gopis are not ordinary women, they are all expansions of Krishna's pleasure potency. So when we understand Krishna, then we shall understand Gopis. We can simply follow foot prints of Gopi how they loved Krsna. [handwritten]
(2) You mention there is fighting and making politics in the temple. But that is your previous qualification. That means you could not give up your qualification. You or anyone. So you should be careful not to revive your old qualifications. It is the business of the Temple President to check it. If such things are happening, it should be brought to the notice of the President. How I can judge from here? It may be you who are fighting and making politics, it may be you who is wrong. It is up to the President to judge. But we must always be enthusiastic to serve, that's a fact, so much so that we will gradually reduce eating and sleeping and save time for Krishna's service.
(3) Regarding your question, what is the difference between Krishna and the deity, that is nonsense. There is no difference between Krishna and the Deity. Anyone who sees such difference, he has not understood the philosophy. There is nothing like that: inside and outside the Deity. This is Dr. Radha-Krishna's philosophy: "It is not to the Krishna, but to the inside Krishna."
(4) You have asked about "chemical changes of consciousness" or drugs, and if these may ever be utilized in Krishna's service. To change consciousness, therefore the Spiritual Master is there. Do not do anything whimsically, like taking these drugs, that will ruin everything. Because you are imperfect you require help from the Perfect, and anything material like drugs is imperfect, so do not be distracted by contemplating in this way. This chemical is intoxicant, it will not help, it will send you to hell. So if you have received initiation, then you have got the instruction no intoxication. So why do you ask this? That means that you have still addiction to these intoxicants. It was said, and you promised, no intoxication, so why do you think of this?
Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Vyshwambhar das,
ISKCON Montreal

ACBS/sda

His Grace Vishvambhar Das
c/o ISKCON
3720 Park Ave.
[unclear] [handwritten]

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
c/o Nainital B.Patel
[unclear] [handwritten]