740303 - Letter to Mahadeva written from Mayapur

Letters by Date, 1974

Sree Mayapur Candradaya Mandir
Sree Dham Mayapur
Navadwipa, Dist., Nadia, Bengal, India

March 3 74

Dear Mahadeva,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter which has been hand delivered to me here in our temple.

We will present our program at Bhaktivedanta Manor exactly in the line of Lord Caitanya, by kirtan, prasadam distribution and speaking from Bhagavad-gita. We cannot deviate even an inch in order to attract the followers of the ecology philosophy or any other materialistic, utopian movement. You say you know a number of influential leaders of this group, but what is the use of knowing them, since you yourself found them deficient and left them? Our ideal Vedic community will attract everyone on its own merit, and we shall be glad to welcome and accept everyone who comes without our compromising in order to attract them.

As far as your plan to convince Prince Charles, heir to the throne, about Krsna Consciousness, this is another utopian idea. Do not work at it. I request you to live with your Godbrothers as a regular brahmachary and prosecute our standard practices for spreading Krsna Consciousness by book distribution, distribution of prasadam and preaching to interested people.

I think you should stay in India. Our Mayapur temple is better than any temple in the U.S. and Europe, and everyone is appreciating it as very gorgeous. So there is a full program here and I request you to take on duties here and do not go wandering around. I have heard of the report of your stealing from the temples, and Mukunda has requested that you do not go back there. Therefore I recommend as the best thing that you make a fresh start and stay here in India where there is such a great need. You English boys have good facility here, not having the visa trouble that the U.S. devotees have, so take advantage of this and cooperate with me in this way. That is my request.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami