721213 - Letter to Sukadeva written from Ahmedabad

Letters by Date, 1972

Letter to Sukadeva (page 1 of 2)

Letter to Sukadeva (page 2 of 2)

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness

CAMP:     "Hare Krishna Land,"
               Gandhigram Road,
               Juhu, Bombay-54, India

DATED     December 13, 1972


My dear Sukadeva,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated November 13, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I am so glad to receive your report after such long time, and it appears that everything is improving more and more, by Krishna's grace. I like this idea of distributing books and preaching, that is Lord Chaitanya's plan, and because you are doing it so nicely you are already making the greatest contribution, so what need there is for some special instruction from me? But if you want, I must give, because you are serving Krishna so nicely, so in that case my request to you is that you enter into the universities and colleges wherever possible and preach there with a view to recruiting some first-class devotees for helping me manage and push on this movement all over the world. Overall there is shortage of first-class, experienced men to manage things just to the highest standard, as you are doing. Therefore I am calling upon you the big leaders to push this idea forward, namely, to attract some educated men to join us. The idea is that they will only agree to join us if we ourselves conduct ourselves intelligently by the preaching approach. The secret will be to engage them as they like to be engaged, that is, supposing I have got some education, I am business student, or I have got some skill or talent, I am typist or musician or something like that, so I will like to utilize these things for Krishna only if I am encouraged in a certain way, very tactfully, and I must not be discouraged by too much forcing me at first to accept everything of shaving the head, rising very early, going for street samkirtan, like that. No, let me come gradually, let me study also Krishna Consciousness and see how it is practical and sublime. Gradually I may get some taste for these other things and agree to do them voluntarily and intelligently. We are not dogma or like army-camp, no. We are servants of Krishna, that means because we understand that Krishna is our Protector under all circumstances, we have no more any anxiety, so we become very liberal and tolerant of all kinds of seeing others' sinful activities, and we see them innocent victims of maya, and we try to help them understand what is the real position of life. So you know this art, how to attract and engage men, so aim yourself at the top-class of men and give them every opportunity and facility to become convinced of our philosophy and engage themselves to their satisfaction. That will be the best contribution. Now spread this idea also to the other leaders. So now I do not think there will be any difficulty for you to fill your Seattle centre with the best devotees in our Movement, and then I shall be very glad to come there at next opportunity to give them all my personal instruction. In this way, appeal yourself to the high class of men, not the mass. Mass, too, we do not eliminate anyone, but if best men are there to run on things, mass will follow later.
Upon your recommendation I am accepting the three persons to be my duly initiated disciples and their letter and beads are enclosed herewith. You may report me from time to time how you are making progress.
Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Sukadeva das Adhikary,
ISKCON Seattle.

ACBS/sda

Sukadeva-
Kindly xerox and distribute copies of this letter to all temple presidents GBC, Sannyasis, etc. OK? [handwritten]
SDA [handwritten]