Letters
From Srila Prabhupada
Jayananda goes back to Godhead-
Letter
to Jayananda 77-05-05
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings.
I am feeling very intensely your separation.
In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting
Hare Krishna. You were the first man to give me some contribution ($5,000) for
printing my Bhagavad-Gita. After that,
you have rendered very favorable service to Krishna in different ways. I so hope
at the time of your death you were remembering Krishna and as such, you have
been promoted to the eternal association of Krishna. If not, if you had any
tinge of material desire, you have gone to the celestial kingdom to live with
the demigods for many thousands of years and enjoy the most opulent life of
material existence. From there you can promote yourself to the spiritual world.
But even if one fails to promote himself to the spiritual world, at that time he
comes down again on the surface of this globe and takes birth in a big family
like a yogi's or a brahmana's
or an aristocratic family, where there is again chance of reviving Krishna
Consciousness. But as you were hearing Krishna-kirtan,
I am sure that you were directly promoted to Krishna-loka.
janma karma ca me divyam
evam
yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti
man eti so' rjuna
Krishna has done a great favor to you, not to
continue your diseased body, and has given you a suitable place for your service.
Thank you very much.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
note-
"Srila Prabhupada loved Jayananda with all of his heart because of his selfless devotion and great Vaishnava qualities. Jayananda Prabhu is called the first ISKCON Saint. I was in Srila Prabhupada's room when he heard that Jayananda Prabhu had left his body. Srila Prabhupada showed his great affection for Jayananda Prabhu and glorified him with tears in his eyes. He prayed to Krishna for him and told us that he went back to Godhead. I think he left the planet just in time to meet Srila Prabhupada in Krishna-loka a short time later." – from Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
Letter
to Rameshvara 77-05-11
Jayananda's death is glorious. It is very good
that he had stated, what is the use of such a useless body, better to give it up.
He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha.
I have already sent a condolence letter for publication in Back To Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I
am very proud that I had such a nice disciple. If possible Jayananda's picture
should be hung in the Ratha of Lord Jagannath, and in all of our temples a day
may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the
disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas...
Letter
to Jayananda 77-02-26
My dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to
acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 21st, 1977, and I thank you
for the check as well as the nice sentiments you have expressed. In the
beginning you also gave me $5,000 and now again you have sent.
This body is today or tomorrow finished. We
should not be very much bothered about the body. Trees also live for thousands
of years but that does not mean a successful life. A successful life is one of
Krishna consciousness. By the grace of Krishna from the very beginning you are a
devotee and that is the real profit of your life.
I thank you for your check, but I would prefer
that you may require the money for your treatment. So if you like I can return
it. But I hear that you have some income. I pray to Krishna for your more
advanced Krishna conscious life.
About a sadhu
it is said, “jiva va mara va,” a
sadhu may live or die, it doesn't
matter. While living he is engaged in Krishna Conscious business and when dying
he goes back home back to Godhead.
Hoping this finds you improving in your health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Mukunda 67-05-13
Please accept my blessings. I am in due
receipt of your letter of the 9th May as well as Srimati Janaki's letter of the
same date. Please convey my blessings for her and all the boys and girls in San
Francisco. Since I have come to New York I have not heard anything from
Jayananda Das Brahmachari (Jim). Is he regularly attending meetings? I shall be
glad to hear from him...
Letter
to Mukunda 67-06-06
P.S. Also inform Jayananda I have received his
letter and the difficulties of life may come as seasonal changes but we should
not be disturbed by all those difficulties. Our process is to chant and that
process will gradually clear everything in due course. There is nothing to be
disrupted – you should go on with your work with enthusiasm and everything
will be solved. We are on the sound footing of Krishna Consciousness.
Letter
to Jayananda 67-09-16
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I'm so glad to
receive your letter of Aug 30, and I know also that you are a sincere devotee of
Lord Krishna. When you drive your car you always chant “Hare Krishna” and
when I was by your side I could understand how heartily you have accepted the
philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. Krishna is very kind to all but He is
especially kind to his sincere devotees. Krishna is always with us, within our
hearts and He is always ready to give us direction but because everyone is
independent Krishna responds cooperatively. Anyone who voluntarily cooperates
with Krishna's desire He responds to his call very eagerly. Krishna descends to
teach us Bhagavad-Gita begging our
cooperation and anyone who cooperates with Him becomes blessed. You are
sincerely cooperating with Krishna and therefore you all boys and girls in San
Francisco, working together harmoniously. Harmony means Krishna Consciousness.
Without Krishna Consciousness there cannot be harmony in the world.
I've received the report of successful
performance of Janmashtami ceremony. I'm glad to learn that you are willing to
come to India for further study. I received no letter from Dayananda or his wife
Nandarani. I'm anxious to receive the report of the Los Angeles center. I do not
know their address. Your acknowledgement “Krishna has been very merciful to me”
is remarkable. You are realizing the fruit of chanting. So far my health is
concerned I'm improving, by Krishna's grace and it is due to your feeling of my
absence and eagerly awaiting for my return. Please go on cooperating between
your godbrothers. I'm always with you never mind if I am physically absent.
Please convey my blessings to all the boys and girls and tell them that I'm very
eager to return.
Your ever well wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 67-09-29
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you
for your letter undated. I congratulate you on your being elected as president
of ISKCON San Francisco branch. Your election as president is a recognition by
Krishna and therefore I have got full support for you. Mukunda and other members
have rightly selected you as president. Your service attitude for Krishna and
your sincere attempts at being advanced in Krishna Consciousness will work with
you and make your life more and more glorious and a happy state. I've been very
glad that you are appreciating by your self the effects of sincere Krishna
Consciousness. I've nothing new to instruct you, the same old instruction namely
constant chanting and attentively hearing the transcendental vibration Hare
Krishna is the only process for self realization in this age. In San Francisco
while you were driving your car and I was sitting by you hearing your
transcendental vibration, this very sincere attempt has enriched your
consciousness and my only instruction is that you may constantly do this habit
without fail.
Regarding your dispute in your mind as to
remaining a brahmachari, grihastha or
becoming sannyasi, there is nothing to
be bothered with. Anyone who is in full Krishna Consciousness and is dedicating
his life for Krishna is already a sannyasi
even if he is a married man. If you like you can become a householder and
I've no objection to that. Our Vaisnava philosophy instructs to become “Vidvati
Sannyasis”, this means a man who knows things as they are, therefore a
devotee who knows that everything belongs to Krishna and that He is the
proprietor of all such a devotee is certainly a Vidvati
Sannyasi. Our philosophy is that we should accept things as prasadam of Krishna and nothing for sense enjoyment. Anyone who
accepts things for sense enjoyment even if he is externally a saffron dressed
man is not a sannyasi. The mayavadi
sannyasi considers himself as God, this concept of life develops under
illusion. When a person fails to become the Lord of the universe it is like the
sly fox who attempts to taste grapes and failing to do so says the grapes are
sour. The mayavadi sannyasins are frustrated beings in their attempt to enjoy
the world, therefore they say the world is fake or the grapes are sour.
The world is not false, Krishna is the supreme
truth and the world is His energy, therefore the energy of the supreme truth
cannot be false; but we must know that this energy is inferior to His spiritual
energy. As there are hairs and nails on the body and sometimes we separate these
parts from the body similarly when the the material energy is separated from the
service of the Lord it is inferior energy. Inferior energy is not false but
temporary. The same temporary energy when surcharged with Krishna Consciousness
it transforms into supreme energy by the supreme will. By this will any energy
can be transformed into another just like electronic energy in a refrigerator or
in a heater, to an ordinary layman, he sees cold and hot but to an electrician,
he sees electricity. So when one is engaged in the service of the Lord that
person is already in the spiritual energy, and a sannyasi
and the real purpose of a sannyasi is
to transform himself from the inferior to the superior, spiritual energy. If
your consciousness is absorbed in Krishna you are always a sannyasi.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 68-02-24
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to
acknowledge receipt of your latest letter, and I am so glad to learn that you
are making nice arrangements for my lecturing in different places, and I expect
to return in San Francisco by the tenth of March, and wish to execute all
programs within 20-30 days from the date of my arrival before starting for New
York. I shall be very glad to initiate girl friend if you recommend her actual
mental condition. We should not initiate anyone who is not willing to follow our
regulations. In the meantime let her attend our classes and join the Sankirtan program regularly. I am so pleased to learn that you are
by the Grace of Krishna improving day by day in the matter of Krishna
Conciousness. Thank you very much for your sincere service. Hope you are well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Brahamananda 68-03-01
You will be glad to learn that Jayananda the
President of San Francisco is purchasing a nice house there as we tried in New
York. The price is $50,000.00 or near about and he has asked my approval. I
think I shall send my approval with pleasure and as soon as the house's
purchased we shall install Sri Sri Radha Krishna Vigraha there in a permanent
place. The copy of Acyutananda's letter is enclosed. I am leaving for San
Francisco on the 8th March by 10 o'clock morning. Hope you are well.
Your servant,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda, Los Angeles, 68-03-01
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to
receive your letter dated Feb. 23, 1968. The description of the house which you
propose to purchase is very much attractive. And I think it is Krishna's
arrangement by His inconceivable energy in exchange of your sincere service to
the Lord. I have gone through the whole letter and it is all encouraging, and
therefore I have full sympathy with the transaction, and I approve of your good
attempts to purchase this house according to the right estimation; it appears to
me all round good. The arrangement of payment is also very nice. I know that you
haven't got to pay the house tax, as it is owned by ISKCON, which is tax free
organization all round.
As you have desired to liquidate the loan in
respect of this purchase, I am sure Krishna will help you in this direction.
We are starting for S.F. on the 8th, flight no.
977 at 10:10 a.m.; this information is already sent to Uddhava. I think you will
do the needful. Hope you are well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Brahmananda 68-03-12
Please accept my blessings. I am in due
receipt of your letter dated 3/9/68. Yes, I safely and pleasantly arrived in S.F.
from L.A. on March 8th morning, and I am keeping fit, lecturing in the Temple.
The Temple atmosphere is very nice, when meeting takes place, the temple is full
to its capacity, and people are taking very much interest in our philosophy. So
I am very much hopeful of this center under the guidance of Sriman Jayananda...
Letter
to Jayananda 68-07-12
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due
receipt of your letter dated July 3, 1968. I have heard about your successful
execution of Ratha-yatra festival in San Francisco from so many sources. And I
am so glad to hear the news. But till now I have not received any newspaper
clippings, or photostats of news articles. I am very much anxious to get them.
Yes, this Jay boy has come here, and I have
seen he is sincere in accepting this principles. I have decided to initiate him
very soon. They have got a two days' engagement of Kirtan
here in the expo pavilion, and they have agreed to pay $150.00 per day. If
the two days' program is successful, then they may get more money and more
engagements.
Yes, I have received Sriman Vinode Patel's
letter, and I have replied the same also promptly. He appears to be a great help
to your temple, and please try to keep him nicely. This is the sequence of
Krishna Consciousness. He is a foreigner and belonging to a different country
and culture, but Krishna Consciousness is so nice that one forgets his material
designations and one tries to associate with similar Krishna consciousness
persons. This is a Sanskrit word, is called Swajati
Snigdha Saya. That means melted on the pure spiritual platform. We hope to
bring everyone to such spiritual platform so that everyone will forget his
material false identification and come to the real platform of becoming
eternally the servant of Krishna.
I am so glad that your parents are realizing
the importance of Krishna Consciousness through their worthy son, Jayananda. A
similar incident was there when Lord Chaitanya was present, that one father
became a devotee of Lord Chaitanya through the exigency of the son. The son was
prior a devotee than the father. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked the father
whether he was father, or the son was father, and the father replied that in his
spiritual enlightenment, his son was his father. So you are acting like a good
father to your parents. So Krishna Consciousness will spread nicely in this way.
And Lord Chaitanya will be very much pleased on your benevolent activities. I
have seen your father and mother, and they are very good souls, especially I
remember your mother. And I hope by the Grace of Lord Krishna they will take to
this Krishna Consciousness very seriously.
Hoping you are all well,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 68-08-17
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due
receipt of your letter dated August 12, 1968 and I have noted the contents. I am
as much anxious to go to San Francisco as you are always anxious get me to San
Francisco, and receive me there. But immediately I never said to Pradyumna that
I can go to San Francisco, so immediately do not arrange for renting any
apartment, because I am contemplating on going to Vancouver. It is not yet
settled, but there is chance of my going there and I wish to go to San Francisco
from there. Yes I have inquired from Govinda Dasi that she and her husband can
utilize the half ticket facility, so when I settle to go, certainly I shall ask
you to send me the necessary money and I am so pleased that you are always ready
to send us the required money and return back to San Francisco. In the meantime,
please go on as usual, and I am so pleased to learn that the Patels are taking
great interest in our temple affairs. Please convey by blessings to all the boys
and girls there.
Last night we had very nice performance of
Janmastami ceremony and all the San Francisco devotees and some of the New York
devotees including Uddhava are all now present here. The Indian public here also
took great interest in this program this year. And today they are performing
both the Vyasa Puja and Nandotsav ceremony.
Regarding Murli Manohar Murti, I understand
that the Patels are ready to present silver Murti, but we cannot worship Murli
Manohar alone, without being accompanied by His most favorite consort Radharani.
You know that we worship Radha's Krishna. We should always understand that
Krishna is sold to the loving service of Radha, therefore Krishna cannot be
alone. And the Gaudiya Vaisnavas they want to see Krishna as Radha's property.
Therefore, if Mr. Patel can present a Pair of Radha Krishna Murti, not less than
18” in height, never mind even They are made of yellow brass metal, that will
be very nice. And if They are made of silver, that is still more nice. And it
will be my great pleasure to install the Murtis in the temple as soon as They
are ready. If it is possible to rent a bigger place for our temple, even without
possessing the same as our property, I think that will be a great facility. I
understand that new men are now coming in the temple. You may consult with the
Patels about this and do the needful. Thank you all very much for your doing
nicely in San Francisco.
Yesterday, Mukunda and Gurudas were telling me
that the man known as Asoka Fakir, now living in San Francisco, is advertising
himself that the members of our temple are all his disciples. This man has
written me letter also, from which I can understand that he is a hodge-podge man.
He is not a pure devotee of Krishna, neither his behavior is quite up to the
standard. Therefore you should warn all our devotees not to mix with this man
very intimately.
Hope you are all well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 68-08-22
My Dear Jayananda,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to
acknowledge receipt of your note, along with the forms. And I thank you very
much for this. The forms are already fingerprinted because on inquiry it was
found in the American Consulate here, so I have done the necessary fingerprints
and submitted to them. And let us see what happens. But I understand that you
can get a personal certificate from the police officer or the police station
nearby, if it is possible, get it. That will help us very much. And you may know
that London party has already left Montreal and they are in New York, and from
there sometimes within this week they will go to London.
I understand from various sources that our San
Francisco center under your good leadership is going on very nicely; I thank you
for your such transcendental activities, and Krishna will be certainly very much
pleased and give you more and more strength to understand Krishna Consciousness
and make advancement in that line.
I also beg to acknowledge receipt herewith of
your letter dated July 13, 1968, which was not delivered so long due to mail
strike. And you enclosed in that letter a check for $75.00 which has been duly
received. Regarding Tamal Krishna, I have replied separately, I understand from
different sources that he is doing very wonderfully. And he has become a great
assistant to you. It is all Krishna's Grace. Please ask him to enhance the Sankirtan
party more and more, and then the whole San Francisco city will be followers
of our Krishna Consciousness movement. It is so pleasing that more and more boys
are joining the Krishna Consciousness movement and I wish that the whole group
known as the hippies may take advantage of this movement, and make their life
very successful.
I have received one letter from Vinode Patel
also, and it is understood that he is living in Berkeley School, and I am
replying him separately. He appears to be sincere boy.
Thank you once more for your kind letter, and
I beg to remain,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Chidananda 69-07-03
Now I hope you will be able to make San
Francisco as important as Los Angeles temple in cooperation with Madhu-dvisha
and the other devotees there. Please convey my blessings to Jayananda, who is
helping so much now in organizing for the Ratha-yatra Festival...
Letter
to Madhu-dvisha 70-01-15
Another thing, perhaps you have talked already
with Garga-muni that Jayananda may be required to go to India. Do you think that
his going away from San Francisco will be detrimental to your working there? If
it is so then the proposal may be suspended for a time because I do not wish to
disturb your nice work. So I will be glad to hear from you about this.
Another thing, if Jayananda has got even a
little desire for marrying there is no harm in that way but if he wants to marry,
he may do so immediately and that girl Sachidevi is quite suitable. I know if
Jayananda becomes married, he will not be a lost child; rather, a good wife in
Krishna consciousness will be an extra impetus for his improvement...
Letter
to Jayananda et al. 72-05-14
My dear Jayananda, Trayi, and Rishabha-deva,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to
acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 9, 1972, and have noted the
contents carefully. I have no objection to any of the points mentioned therein
by you. Only thing is, we must try to avoid becoming too much overly organized
like the material businessmen. Our business is to ourselves become Krishna
conscious, advance in spiritual life, and to preach to others how they can also
take advantage and come to the perfectional stage of life. Too much business or
paperwork, vouchers, plans, these things become too much cumbersome for our
spiritual growth, they take us away from our real emphasis of work, namely, to
go back to Home, back to Godhead. But I think your plan is not like that, so far
I can see. It is practical and to the point. But now you must do it very nicely
and complete it. Not that we make some plan, change things, then do not complete
it, again change, this way, that way – no. There was some plan by Keshava to
purchase a new San Francisco temple in a better part of the city. What happened
to that plan?
I shall be coming to Los Angeles by Thursday,
May 18th. So we shall discuss later. When I shall come there, I shall be glad to
give sannyasa order to Jayananda, as Keshava has recommmended.
Hoping this meets you all in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to B.D. Joshi 72-05-23
I have decided not to give Jayananda Das the sannyasa
order of life at this time, let him wait...
Letter
to Jayananda 73-12-01
My dear Jayananda Das,
Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of
your letter dated November 13, 1973. I was very happy to hear from you. I am
always thinking of you and praying to Krishna for your advancement in Krishna
Consciousness.
That you are engaged in street Sankirtan in San Francisco is fully approved by me. That you are
feeling more and more enthusiasm by doing this is quite natural as Sankirtan
is our life and soul. My Guru Maharaja used to say, “One who has got life,
he can preach.”
Yes, I remember the old days in San Francisco.
Krishna has been so kind upon me to have sent so many sincere disciples to help
me push on this Movement on behalf of my Guru Maharaja. You continue with your
program there in San Francisco, always strictly keeping our principles and
Krishna will bless you with greater and greater realization of the importance of
this Movement. I am dependent upon you, my older disciples, to carry it on.
Please offer my blessings to your good wife,
Trayi Devi Dasi, and thank her on my behalf for the three nice drawings of
Krishna lila. Also, please thank
Bhava-tarani Devi Dasi for her drawing of Gopal Krishna. So far how she can
serve me, the best service is to chant Hare Krishna always and spread it to
every town and village.
I hope this meets you well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 75-06-03
My dear Jayananda Das,
Please accept my blessings. The book, “Hare
Krishna and the Counter-culture” written by Professor Judah, the copy of
which was presented to you was lying here at Honolulu temple. I have read it
with great interest. Just to congratulate the Professor, I am enclosing herewith
a letter to him. I do not know his address therefore I am sending it through you.
I wish to present him also one copy of the book titled, “Lord
Chaitanya in Five Features.” So, kindly immediately see him with my letter
and the book and congratulate him on my behalf.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 75-09-01
My Dear Jayananda Das,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due
receipt of your letter dated August 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. What
you have done is good. Why should you remarry? Rather you should take sannyasa. Now you are getting very good training. Why has
Jaya-tirtha suggested you to remarry?
In Delhi there is a certain kind of laddu
which has such a taste, that anyone who has tasted it once, he laments, oh
how I would like to taste again. And anyone who has never tasted, he also
laments, “Oh I have never tasted!” So one who has tasted, and one who has
not tasted, both are lamenting. Wife is like that. You have already tasted, now
you are lamenting. But my advice to you is not to try to taste again, otherwise
your lamentation will increase. You have got no children, so you are free, so
take sannyasa.
Sex life is nasty, but out of illusion we
think it is nice. Now you are experienced, so don't take sex life again. You
should not take sannyasa out of
sentiment nor artificially, but it is better to accept it anyway.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Letter
to Jayananda 76-07-19
My dear Jayananda Das,
Please accept my blessings. For so long I have
wanted to have Ratha-yatra in New York and now at long last you have helped me
fulfill this long-cherished dream. The Ratha-carts were very strong and
attractive and I thank you and all of your assistants for working so hard to
prepare such nice carts. May Krishna bless you all for your sincere service that
you may all go on making more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
I hope that this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami