701122 - Letter to Ben written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1970

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

November 22, 1970

My Dear Sriman Ben,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your humble letter dated September 20th, 1970. I am presently staying in Bombay. Since arriving in India I have been extensively travelling and preaching our Sankirtana Movement to all parts of the country. There is good reception also for our Society here. From other countries all over the world I am receiving daily reports and thanks how everything is going on in Krsna Consciousness nicely. Our Movement has now become truly international Society.

I am very glad that you are so much appreciative of our program and philosophy. Actually it is the only factual presentation of our true relationship with God, Krsna. And it is our earnest endeavor to preach this philosophy very vigorously to clear out the diseased condition of impersonal and voidist philosophy which are so much misleading the innocent persons. So you are very fortunate. Krsna has saved you from the impersonal calamity.

I am very much pleased to know that you are trying to set a fine example to your young son, Joseph, and your good wife. It is the duty of our students who are married men to train both their wife and children in devotional service to the Supreme Lord. The easiest program is that you add to your daily schedule a Kirtana chanting of Hare Krsna Maha-mantra both in the evening and the morning with your family and after chanting you can read something from our Bhagavad Gita As It Is or Krsna Book or our other literatures. You are already offering service to Lord Jagannatha and offering Him some nicely prepared fruits, milk, sweet smelling flowers and incense. That is the way for householders. For householders it is prescribed that one should hear the Bhagavad-gita or other transcendental texts of which we now have ample supply from the lips of the devotee of the Lord, one should accept a Bona fide Spiritual Master and follow his instructions and one should install the Deity in his home and carry on worship there. These three items will make your life perfect. So you simply try to observe these things and if you need some advice how to do it you can ask the elder devotees of our New York Temple. Be very strict in your observance of the four principles of regulation, namely no illicit sex life, no intoxicants, no eating of any meat, fish or eggs, and no gambling. Always chant Hare Krsna at least sixteen rounds daily and be happy.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami