691102 - Letter to Krishna Devi written from Tittenhurst, UK

Letters by Date, 1969

Letter to Krishna Devi

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: TITTENHURST PARK
              TITTENHURST HOUSE
              Ascot Berkshire, ENGLAND

DATE ......November..2,..........19.69


My Dear Krishna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated October 21, 1969 and have noted the contents. It is very good news that Vishnu Arata is advancing nicely in Krishna Consciousness and I know that you and your husband will always do your best to bring her up on the right path of Krishna Consciousness. To raise one soul to Krishna Consciousness is counted by Krishna as a very great service, so you do this duty carefully and Krishna will surely bestow His blessings upon you. I am also glad to learn that you are developing more and more a taste for thinking of Lord Krishna and His devotees. Such thinking is required, and you will see that as you think in this way, your taste for relishing the nectar of such meditation will increase more and more. This is called the limitless ocean of the nectar of devotion. This ocean is unending, and therefore the pleasure of relishing the nectar of this ocean is also increasing unendingly. Regarding your questions, yes, a woman can certainly reach the perfectional stage of devotion to Krishna. And the gopis of Brindavan are the best example of this. They are simple cowherds girls, and Lord Chaitanya has praised their worship of Lord Krishna as the highest form of worship. Krishna Consciousness is transcendental to all such mundane considerations as if one's body is male or female. This is the meaning of spiritual: Krishna Consciousness is beyond the limited bodily idea.

Regarding your other questions, the Yadu dynasty completely destroyed itself because Krishna wanted this. So far as initiating disciples is concerned, anyone who is qualified can do this. For example, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur was householder and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was staunch brahmachary, yet they both were qualified for initiating disciples. Regarding your question about feeling emotions during kirtan, these are real spiritual emotions. Spiritual emotions can not [handwritten] be experienced by the fallen soul; but one who is feeling spiritual emotions is not actually fallen. That is the benediction of this Samkirtan Movement that it elevates one to the highest position of spiritual experiences. Regarding your final question about Laksmiji, she never has conjugal relations with Lord Narayan. Neither does she desire to have conjugal relations with Krishna. Her desire is to follow the Gopis of Vrindaban. Please offer my blessings to Damodara, Madhusudan, Kanchanbala, and of course your family. I hope this will find you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,