a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
|
|
| Prabhupada Letters :: 1966 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
|
|
20 March 2004 JOURNAL: Sunday 20 March Chaturdashi & Amabasyha Sun Rise 6/04 am. Sunset 6/12 pm. Moonrise Sets 5/56 am. Some four gentlemen and ladies came to see me. We talked for some time. There have given their addresses. No income and no expenditure. letters | 01:56 | 19 March 2004 JOURNAL: Saturday 19 March Sun Rise 6/06 am. Sunset 6/11 pm. Moonrise 5/33 am. Trayodashi Income -- $1.00 no expenditure Today I was to go to Ashram but Yolanda did not go. So I also could not go. I prepared on tape record of Chintamani. letters | 01:54 | 18 March 2004 Friday, March 18, 1966 New York, New York Madam Sumati Morarji Baisaheba, Please accept my greeting and blessing of Lord Bala Krishna. I hope by the Grace of Lord Sri Krishna everything well with you. Since I received your last letter of October 9, 1965, I was very much encouraged when you wrote to say "I feel that you should stay there till you fully recover from your illness and return only after you have completed your mission". I think these lines dictated by you are the words of Lord Bala Krishna expressed through your goodness. You will be pleased to know that I have improved my health to the normal and my missionary work is nicely progressing. I hope my project to start a Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York will also be realised by the Grace of the Lord. Sir Padampat Singhania of Kanpur J.K. Organization, has kindly agreed to construct a nice Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York. I am trying to solve the exchange problem by all means and I am seeing some light for this purpose also. Since I came down to New York from Butler Pennsylvania, I have rented the above room at $70.00 per month and I am delivering lectures on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam accompanied by Sankirtana and the American ladies and gentlemen come to hear me. You will be surprised to know that they do not understand the language of the Sankirtana and yet they hear with attention. The movement which I have started here is completely new to them because the Americans are generally acquainted with the Indian Yoga gymnastics as it is performed by some Indian yogis here. They never heard of Bhakti cult or the Science of Krishna before and still they are hearing me,--this very idea is a great success for me. Now I shall require some Sankirtana instruments from India and three men to assist me in my missionary activities. And if the Temple is started I have to bring many things from India and I wish that you may kindly arrange for free conveyance of my men and goods in this connection. I have already asked one of my devotees in Calcutta to send two mrdangas for Sankirtana and I have advised him to deposit the same with your manager in Calcutta for carriage to New York by any one of your ships. Kindly issue instructions to your Managers in Calcutta and Cochin to carry my things as abovementioned free and oblige. In India when I started for America, your goodness promised to reply my letter regularly but I have not received replies for my two letters. Please therefore see that my letters addressed to you may be duly replied. I have come here in this old age neither for sight seeing nor for any personal interest. It is for the interest of the entire humanity that I am trying to implement the science of Krishna which will actually make them happy. So it is the duty of every devotees of Lord Krishna to help me by all means. Kindly reply this letter and oblige. Hope you are well. Kindly convey my good wishes to all your staff especially to Sarva Sriman Choksi, Nagarajam and Acarya. Thanking you once more, Yours sincerely in the Service of the Lord. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 23:50 | March 18, 1966 New York, New York My dear Sir Padampat, Please accept my greetings and blessings of Sri Sri Dvarakadhisa Maharaja. I hope by Lord's Grace everything is all right with you. Now as referred to my last letter of January 20 1966, I am very glad to inform you that by the Grace of Lord Dvarakadhisa there is now some definite arrangement for dollar exchange in India. As I told you before the matter was entrusted to two responsible gentlemen in India. One is my godbrother Sripada B.V. Tirtha Maharaja the President of Caitanya Research Institute Calcutta and the other is one influential officer in the All India Congress Committee. in New Delhi. Both of them are very responsible men and they are trying very sincerely to their best capacity to get the exchange sanctioned. But till now there is no hopeful signal from both of them. So In the meantime I negotiated with the authorities of the great Missionary organization namely The Salvation Army Inc. The Finance Secretary of the great organization writes as follows in his letter D.14.3.66 "This will acknowledge your letter of March 5,1966, in connection with the possibility of The Salvation Army paying you American dollars and having you release an equivalent amount of Indian currency for The Salvation Army work in India. It is noted that you will need $200,000.- (two hundred thousands dollars) immediately for starting your work in New York." "The Salvation Army in America rarely sends money directly to India . . ." "In the event, however, that an occasion might arise, what would be the basis of the rate of exchange? We understand that there is the official bank rate and there are other rates available to us, which are legal, but which provide more funds in Indian currency than would be provided by the official bank rate." On receipt of the letter from The Salvation Army as quoted above, I saw the Finance Secretary of the very great organization and I talked with him very freely and frankly. I convinced him that our Radhakrishna Temple will be similar missionary preaching centre for God consciousness and there is no question of business profit. We want to spend here for the benefit of the American people as you are spending in India. It is mutual cooperation for spreading the idea of God consciousness in the world when there is very great necessity for it. The usual black market exchange is Rs 7.- per $. But I have convinced him to accept Rs 4.80. per $ and by the Grace of Lord Dvarakadhisa he has agreed. So the difficulty of exchange as referred to in your letter of 14th January 1966 is now solved. Now you can send your man immediately for beginning the work as suggested in my last letter. I asked you to send me the name of the man whom you want to send for this purpose so that I could arrange for the "No objection Certificate" from the local Indian Consulate Gnl. But now you have to send the name immediately for sponsoring him. Please therefore immediately take steps in the matter and let me know the result per return of post. I am counting every moment for starting the Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and here is the opportunity now which we must utilize without delay. Please therefore reply this letter immediately per return of post and oblige. By the by kindly let me know if you have received my books Srimad-Bhagavatam from my Delhi office? I have information from Delhi that they have already sent you the books as I have already informed you in my last letter (Page 3 para 5) Hope you are well and awaiting your reply. Thanking you once more. Yours Sincerely, letters | 23:15 | JOURNAL: Friday 18 March Dwadashi Sun Rise 6/08 am. Sunset 6/09 pm. Moonrise 5/09 am. Today one letter received from Chandra Sekhar. He encourages to stay in America at least for three years. God bless him. There is some good sales of Srimad Bhagwatam he reports. Two letter posted as follows:- one letter to Sir Padampat Singhania one letter to Srimati Sumati Morarjee. Dr. Mishra made bad remark on Tilak and kanthi. He commits offences. I do not know when he will come to his real sense. No expenditure -- Income by contribution $4.00 Tonight five ladies and gentlemen attended the meeting from 7 pm. 9/15 pm. and 15 minutes talks. Kirtan and lectures on the Bhagwat Geeta performed. letters | 01:53 | 17 March 2004 JOURNAL: Thursday 17 March Ekadasi Sun Rise 6/10 am. Sunset 6/08 pm. Moonrise 4/38 am. Today rent for the month of 15/3/66 to 14/4/66 one month paid in advance to S. N. Pelches (?) Landlord by money drawing from the Bank. Received letter from Salvation Army Finance Secretary. At once went to see him. The result is favourable by the Grace of the Lord. The finance secretary has agreed to accept at 4.80 a dollar exchange*. He is writing to London office for confirmation. Expenditure -- Bus fare -- .30 Envelopes half a dozen .32 .62 In the evening two ladies and one gentleman Mr. Tone came to see me. There was some discussions. letters | 01:51 | 16 March 2004 JOURNAL: Wednesday 16 March Sun Rise 6/12 am. Sunset 6/07 pm. Moonrise 4/00 am. Dashami Joan was kind enough to get my books sixteen sets from m/s Paragon Book Gallery. The books are brought and kept in stock. No letter received. In the evening there was meeting. The attendance was three only. No expenditure. Income $3.00 only by contribution. letters | 01:50 | 15 March 2004 JOURNAL: Tuesday 15 March Sun Rise 6/14 am. Sunset 6/06 pm. Moonrise 3/13 am. Navami Today no letter received & Joans requested to pick up the books from Paragon's. She agreed to do it tomorrow. Today no letter received. Deposited in the Bank $25. no other expenditure. In the evening five ladies and gentlemen visited. There was some talks. Mrs. Leblanc came at the end after Dr. Mishra's meeting. Now she is losing interest since she has learnt it that Bhagwat Geeta does not support monism. No income today. letters | 01:45 | 14 March 2004 JOURNAL: Monday 14 March Sun Rise 6/16 am. Sunset 6/06 pm. Moonrise 2/17 am. Astami One letter received from Chandra Sekhar. It will take some time to renew the Passport. I have today renewed the Visa up to 30th June 1966. Paid Doctor 10.00 as fee. I have lost today the good fountain pen given to me by Gopal. It is worth $13.50. I am very sorry for this but I should not lament for this because it was given by some body and it is taken by somebody else. It was in my possession only for a few months. So I have purchased one today of the same make but inferior quality. It is working well. Expenditure -- Pen Sheaffar. $1.00 Subway to Chamber Station & down .30 Visa fees -- 10.00 11.30 Income Contribution $17.00 letters | 01:43 | |
|
|
