Letter to Ramesvara

From: Tamal Krishna - SL_770702_A2

Los Angeles

My dear Ramesvara Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your feet.

Enclosed please find a photocopy of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s will. Srila Prabhupada has asked that the will should be photocopied and a copy sent to each GBC member, so kindly do this at once. There is a new GBC member - His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami. His zone is northern India. His Divine Grace named him to the GBC to encourage him for the outstanding preaching work which he is doing in Punjab. Please inform all of the GBC men of his appointment. I am having to do a lot of important management in order to relieve His Divine Grace, and I would very much appreciate having the assistance of a visiting monthly GBC member, as we all agreed upon. Srila Prabhupada repeated to me that this was very important. I think all GBC men should be anxious to do this as it also involves attending Srila Prabhupada personally, giving Him massages and many other nectarean services, and in general affords an unusual amount of personal association, even more than in the past. Jagadhisa Prabhu had volunteered for July. If he cannot come, could you kindly try to arrange another GBC man.

Book distribution Quotations:

After receiving Ghanasyama’s report from Yugoslavia, Srila Prabhupada said, “Just see how downtrodden the people are (the Yugoslavians). They have to go to work at 4:30 in the morning. This is their civilization. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that one has to work like an ass to live. If you weigh the load on the back of an ass it is ten times the weight of an animal’s body. Such a heavy burden. And the man who is loading him will have to take the body of an ass in his next life. This is known as karma-bandhana.” While hearing how the people were all taking Standing Orders in Yugoslavia, Srila Prabhupada commented, “These are wonderful things. People are staring at him as if something is wrong, but buying both Standing Orders in the end. In spite of all obstacles, Srimad-Bhagavatam is going strong. How much he is subjected to. He has a strange body, they do not speak his language, it is a tough subject–still the Bhagavatam is going through!” Again, “Our books are not for philosophical speculation but for practical solution of problems. Philosophy classes are now being closed. The philosophy professors are starving. No students are interested in philosophy. Rather they take courses in technology.” Prabhupada quite agreed with the professor who told Ghanasyama that all the intellectuals should read his books: “That is a fact. Every person who is supposed to be an intellectual or scholar, who does not read my books, his learning is imperfect–asan purna.”

After receiving a report from His Holiness Hansadutta Swami from Ceylon, Srila Prabhupada was very encouraged. His Divine Grace said, “This news is ambrosial. You are all Mohini-murti, distributing ambrosia. Now you have got the right place to execute your capacity. Do it nicely and Krishna will bless you. You have sacrificed very nicely. You have no attachment for beautiful wife, so Krishna will give you all blessings. Now your first business is to print books. Whatever money you have print books. Then attempt building a temple. You can print Nectar of Devotion, then Teachings of Lord Caitanya, then Srimad-Bhagavatam, then Caitanya-caritamrta, like that.” Srila Prabhupada said, “I want to go to Ceylon. I can go. I can go anywhere by chair. It is difficult only in the imagination. The swelling is touching the skin, not my soul.”

“Darwin’s theory is mad. He says survival of the fittest. But who is fit? Everything will be finished. It is all theories; no practical. The distinction of the two civilization, they want to increase the bad qualities, but we want to decrease the demands. When we make our planetarium they will see how frog-like they are. How they can measure such a huge distance as the universe? They are simply speculating.” This statement was made during one afternoon talk.

I was speaking to Srila Prabhupada about which Deities might be installed in the Chandigarh temple, but Srila Prabhupada cut me off by saying, “Temple is not very important thing. Main thing is distribution of books. That is our main business.” Srila Prabhupada also said after hearing a recent Sankirtan Newsletter, “People are devouring our books.”

Jai Maharaja. Hoping this meets you well.

Your servant,
Tamal Krishna Gosvami
Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

His Holiness Ramesvara Swami
c/o ISKCON Los Angeles
/tkg

[Handwritten:]

P.S. Every day I report to His Divine Grace about any “good news” that comes in and this very much enlivens Him. Could you inform the other GBC men that Srila Prabhupada more than ever is eager to receive encouraging news from all of them. Prabhupada asks me, “What good news today,” but too often I have nothing to report. The GBC men should not feel that they should not send news which will be pleasing and reassuring to Prabhupada that His movement is being well spread.

N.B. In regard to the Fiji opening Srila Prabhupada said that if there are some sincere local men they may be initiated. You can chant on their beads and Yasodanandan Swami can perform the ceremony and between you, you can choose names for them. Srila Prabhupada always tries to find some local men in this kind of project. I think you may have seen this done in Bhubaneswar where a whole village practically was initiated. Dhananjaya still has not received any money from you for jewelry and clothes for the Fiji Dieties. You’re running out of time.

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