700816 - Letter to Bali-mardana written from Tokyo

Letters by Date, 1970

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

August 16, 1970

Australia

My Dear Bali-mardana,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5th August, 1970, forwarded from L.A. At present I am living in our Tokyo center. I left L.A. on the 7th August and I have come here via Honolulu. Most probably I shall be going to India (Calcutta).

Perhaps you know that you have been nominated as one of the Governing Body Commissioners. I very much appreciate your forward service spirit and gradually Krsna is helping you in the matter of your Australian Yatra, and I am so glad to learn that you are going to open another branch in Melbourne.

I am getting older day by day, so if I can see in my lifetime that all of you have opened at least 108 branches of ISKCON institution that will be a great pleasure for me.

So now the factual administration will depend on the Governing Body Commission and the sannyasis are entrusted for making propaganda work. I wish to remain on the background to give you some directions. So kindly execute the missionary activities very carefully with enthusiasm, patience, conviction, follow the regulative principles, chanting regularly sixteen rounds, dealing without any duplicity, and above all keeping oneself in the society of pure devotees.

Our different centers are meant for organizing a group of pure devotees so that neophyte visitors may take examples from them and thus become attached to Krsna consciousness. This formula is active everywhere and I see practically here in Japan where they do not understand the language but still they are taking part like other centers.

I have seen some pictures from your side. It appears that the altar is very nicely made. I am glad to learn that you have got a truck for transport. So try to improve the Australian activities in this way and Krsna will give you all facilities.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami