700804 - Letter to Upendra written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1970

Letter to Upendra

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

DATE .August..4,..1970..............19.70


My Dear Upendra,

Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated July 30, 1970. I am glad to hear that our Sydney Temple is going nicely.
Regarding your questions, the Sannyasins are now devoted fully to travelling and preaching work, management is left to the local Temple Presidents and the members of the Governing Body Commission.
As we make advancement, offenses should be gradually diminished; advanced devotees, in fact all devotees should study how to do this very carefully in the Nectar of Devotion. We can understand the Absolute Truth by hearing, that is how we can become perfect. Simply by hearing and chanting the Glories of the Supreme Lord from the Srimad Bhagavatam one can become perfect, this example is shown by Sukadeva Goswami and Maharaj Pariksit.
The Gayatri is chanted morning, afternoon, and evening. The pujari chants Gayatri at each offering. Regarding the 'Sayyothana' ceremony. In that part of the year it is very hot so they pour water mixed with milk over the Deities. Lord Jesus Christ is a saktyavesa Avatar., an empowered living entity or jiva. In order to attain such a position one must be pure, so in this sense Lord Jesus Christ was a pure devotee. Of course, humanitarianism is not a sign of the pure devotee, but unless he did like that no one would hear him. So Lord Jesus Christ was acting a part suitable for the particular circumstances.
It is a nice story about the police sergeant bowing down following the example of the devotees. That tendency is there in everyone eternally, simply they must be exposed to our Samkirtan Movement. It does not matter what we are, Grhasthas or Sannyasins, the point is to be paramahamsa, completely surrendered to Lord Sri Krsna. Some of Lord Caitanya's followers were Sannyasins but not all of them.
Thank you once again and please convey my blessings to all the Prabhus there. I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami