730723 - Letter to Jagadisa written from Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK

Letters by Date, 1973

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Letchmore Heath, Herts., England

July 23, 1973

Dear Jagadisha,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 17, 1973 and I have considered the contents carefully.
There is no objection to going in western clothes in order to distribute my books. It is not necessary that we always wear the robes, but we should always keep sikha and teelock. However, a wig or hat may be worn as you describe. We have to take whatever is the favorable position for executing Krsna consciousness. Do not forget our principles, but sometimes we may adapt such means in order to help distribute books. Somehow or other distribute books and if you can impress people a little to chant then it does not matter about your dress.
Regarding your contemplating opening new centers, I have felt the pulse of your country and that is, that wherever we open a small branch it will develop. So now you have to train our men so that the possibility for such opening centers will be good. As soon as you have the qualified men then you can open a small branch. But the travelling part is most important, even more so than the new centers. The travelling sankirtan party must go on.
You are setting a very good example in that you yourself are going with the travelling party. The Vedic concept of the commander is that he must be in front in the fight, not that he sit back behind the lines.
I think Ottawa is an important place in Canada, so when Krsna sends you more men, you can open and execute our simple activities of chanting, dancing and taking prasadam.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami