Devotional service and enthusiasm
…” To surrender to Krishna all at once is not generally possible, but as we serve Krishna more and more, we gradually become more and more surrendered at His Lotus Feet.
…”In the material world we want to minimize our activities and take rest more but in the spiritual world, there is no rest and there is no limit of activities.
…”I am pressed with heavy work. I am receiving letters about 12 daily, from different centers with different problems and then at the same time I am just trying to write my books,
…”When we begin this sublime chanting process, or even if we simply hear the sound Hare Krishna, then we have begun our journey back to the Spiritual Kingdom, back to Godhead. “
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Feb 25 letter Karunamayi
This transcendental pleasure is unlimited and increases as we increase our desire to give more and more voluntary service. To surrender to Krishna all at once is not generally possible, but as we serve Krishna more and more, we gradually become more and more surrendered at His Lotus Feet. So you please continue to serve Krishna in these ways you have mentioned, and do not feel that your service is any less valuable than that of others. In the transcendental loving service of the Lord, it doesn’t matter whether we are working, cooking, painting, writing, chanting, or whatever, they are all the same. There are no such distinctions of higher and lower on the transcendental platform. The important thing is that we are engaging our time and energy in the service of the Lord. After all, we are so tiny, what can we do? Krishna sees simply that this time is being spent in His service.
Oct 16 1968 letter Brahmananda
Regarding Acyutananda and Jaya Govinda: I have already written them again, that they do not be lethargic; be enthusiastic. And do something for the society. So you can also write to them that they have gone there on a mission to work for the society, so they should try their best to remain in India and work for the society. Simply if they approach big business firms in Bombay, I think they can collect not less than 100 to 200 Rs. daily. But they must be enthusiastic. If they become dead bodies, then it is not possible. I do not know why American boys should be so much lethargic. And I don’t think Acyutananda can be engaged as leader in any group. He can work only as assistant. So you write them as far as possible. Otherwise, let them come back—what can be done? I have already written to them.
I think also that Gargamuni also should be supplied with another bride. Because karmis without association of woman, cannot work. So as he is going to be a karmi—not exactly karmi, karma-yogi, so if he likes, he can marry again. But he cannot be a very strict husband, otherwise the same thing will happen. Because in America, the girls are not so trained that they will be very much obedient. So you think over, but if he likes, he can marry again.
March 18 1969 letter tkg
I am so glad to learn that everyone in L.A. is working very hard. And Krishna Consciousness is so nice that you are aspiring for still more work. That is the sign of spiritual life. In the material world we want to minimize our activities and take rest more but in the spiritual world, there is no rest and there is no limit of activities. Krishna is unlimited, His service is unlimited, and the energy of His servants is unlimited. Although we are in the midst of ignorance, still if we keep ourselves alert there is no place of ignorance…. As you always desire to help me in my missionary ambition, so also I am praying always to Krishna that the boys and girls who have stretched their helping hand in this country in this connection may always be in good health and continue to assist me in my missionary activities. I am so glad to learn that you are prepared to work even harder, as a forward soldier, to fight the Maya. May Krishna give you more and more strength.
March 30 1969 l;etter Ksama
Please accept my blessings. I have received your note along with Satyabhama’s letter. I thank you for your very nice sentiments. I hope by this time you must have improved your health and very soon you will be able to work fully along with your good husband. I think by the will of Krishna you two good souls, Hayagriva and yourself, are combined now to fulfill my mission of publishing the whole of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Krishna is sufficiently powerful and able to give facilities to His devotees provided a devotee works very sincerely to please Him. We shall always keep this motto in our view, and it is very nice to hear that you are feeling separation from most beautiful Syamasundara., but you are satisfied by chanting His Holy Name. Syamasundara. is not different from His Name.
March 30 1969 letter Jaya Govinda
Your sympathetic expression about my magnitude of work with which I am pressed here is undoubtedly very much encouraging to me, and certainly I am pressed with heavy work. I am receiving letters about 12 daily, from different centers with different problems and then at the same time I am just trying to write my books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, and Krishna, and lately Vedanta Sutra. So certainly this is heavy task but by the Grace of Krishna, it does not depress me. I feel encouraged to act so busily day and night. But the body sometimes does not allow me to do so. So I have to sleep about 4 to 5 hours. But in comparison to our predecessors, the Goswamis, this engagement in insignificant. These Goswamis used to work almost 24 hours. They used to sleep not more than 2 hours, and they produced immense literature. Of course, it is not possible to be in their level of activities, but as far as possible, we should everyone of us try to work as hard as possible for Krishna’s satisfaction. This material body can be adjusted with practice. If we adjust these bodily activities towards Krishna’s side, then the labor is fruitf
June 8 1969 letter Hamsadutta
Your unhappiness in the absence of sufficient engagement is a good sign. This is called abertya kalatyum. When a person is advanced in Krishna Consciousness he should always think that my time may not go in vain without being engaged in Krishna’s service. Your main business is Sankirtana. From everywhere I am getting good reports, especially from Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii that they are having good success by outdoor kirtanas. So you follow this principle without fail, and treat the cunning with cunningness. Sometimes in your letter it appears that you are confused. I do not know why you should be like that. Your clear program is spreading Krishna Consciousness, and you are competent and experienced for this. Why you should feel confused? As you are feeling for a little change, I thing you can go with your Sankirtana Party to Vancouver for some time, and help establish a center firmly because Ananda is struggling there alone. He had been helped by Mandali Bhadra and Vrndavanesvari, but soon they are leaving for Hamburg. So why don’t you go for a few days to Vancouver?
June 15 1969 letter Krsna devi
This is the actual position that if we are sincerely chanting our rounds, following the prescribed regulative principles, and avoiding the ten offenses, then very quickly Krishna sees our efforts and He gives all encouragement to such sincere soul. Then with this taste of Krishna Consciousness, we become more and more attracted, so more and more Krishna gives encouragement, and then more and more we increase in our desire to serve Krishna in pure Krishna Consciousness. So in this way there is an unlimited ocean of nectar of devotional service which eternally increases on and on. When we begin this sublime chanting process, or even if we simply hear the sound Hare Krishna, then we have begun our journey back to the Spiritual Kingdom, back to Godhead. So please continue to be serious in your chanting, and then surely Krishna will save you and all the other sincere souls who are so fortunate to have taken to this movement.
July 15 1969 letter Guru das and Yamuna
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of Yamuna Dasi’s letters of July 3rd and 7th, 1969, as well as Gurudasa’ letters of July 1st, 4th and 8th, 1969. I have noted all the contents carefully, and I am so glad to know that you are arranging so nicely the temple paraphernalia as well as the Rathayatra Festival. You have got two great responsibilities to function. Do it to your best capacity, and Krishna will give you all facilities without fail. Our principle should be to serve Krishna very diligently with love and faith, and all necessary supplies will come without any difficulties. As you are all sincere devotees, I am sure you are feeling the great assistance of Krishna through your activities, and the more you serve the more you will know how you are making progress in Krishna Consciousness. The same example has to be repeated how when a hungry man is given foodstuffs to eat, automatically he feels three kinds of symptoms: satisfaction of hunger, strength and pleasure. So this Krishna Consciousness Movement is based on sincere service to the Lord. We shall always remember this, and then success is assured. I am glad that you are expecting me there during Janmastami Day, and this is a very nice proposal. Even if I go to Germany in the meantime, it will not be difficult for me to come to London during Janmastami Festival, which takes place on the 4th of September.
Oct 15 1969 letter Jaya Govinda
There is a proveb in Sanskrit literature that enthusiastic persons achieve the favor of the Goddess of Fortune. In the Western part of the world there is tangible example of this slogan. People in this part of the world are very much enthusiastic in material advancement and they have got it. Similarly, according to the instructions of Srila Rupa Goswami, if we become enthusiastic in spiritual matters, then we also get success in that way. Take for example, I came to your country in ripe old age, but I had one asset: enthusiasm and faith in my Spiritual Master. I think these assets only are giving me some lights of hope, whatever I have achieved so far with your cooperation. I hope this will meet you in good health.
Oct 31 1969 letter Satsvarupa
The only thing is that we as preachers must be very, very pure, sincere and serious. The crude example is that when a man is physically very strong, and if he has sex intercourse with a woman, she is sure to become pregnant. When pregnancy fails, it is due to the weakness of the male partner generally. Similarly, if we are full with Krishna vitality, then wherever we go the audience will be impregnated with Krishna Consciousness. Now some of our leading boys, like you, Brahmananda, Tamala, etc. you should be very careful to train your other junior Godbrothers to the right type of preacher, keeping full faith in Krishna and the Spiritual Master, and executing the routine works of chanting and following the regulations. That will make you all great preachers, and wherever you go you will come out victorious.
Feb 22 1970 letter Bali mardana
I am very much pleased with your behavior in the matter of progressing our Krsna Consciousness movement. You took up very seriously my desire for opening a center in Australia, and you volunteered to take up the responsibility. So all these things are very much encouraging. In our Krsna Consciousness movement the first qualification required by the devotees is enthusiasm. Then work it out patiently and with conviction that it will surely be done. But at the same time we must be very, very strict in following the regulative principles and completing the sixteen rounds chanting. Our dealings should be very clear with others and we must always keep company with devotees.
June 19 1970 letter Sudama
It is very good news that you are getting your branch of ISKCON incorporated in Japan. That is nice. So you write to say that things are taking shape very nicely. It is all Krsna’s grace. You have gone with great hope and enthusiasm, so Krsna is giving you all opportunities. So try to serve Krsna with greater enthusiasm, then you will get greater facilities.
Jan 1 1971 letter Sudama
Married life does not mean that there will be no disagreement between husband and wife—that is a custom from time immemorial. According to Vedic system, disagreement or quarrel between husband and wife should never be taken very seriously. The Vedic system therefore gives a concession for the wife to separate from her husband for some time and go to her father’s house. So Cintamani may come to me for some time, but you cannot deviate from your responsibility in Japan. If so desired, Karatieya Maharaja and Bruce can go immediately to help you, so arrange for their passage and I shall send them back. I think Bruce has got his return ticket.
Do not be diminished in your enthusiasm. You should always think of yourself that you are sold to Krsna as slave and that is the only way to get relief of the slavery of Maya. I hope you will understand me rightly and do the needful. May Krsna help you always.
Jan 4 1971 letter Stephen
So please do not ever become discouraged. That is one of the defects of conditioned life. Simply execute your duties in Krsna’s service, chant sincerely, and follow the regulative principles faithfully. If you carry out this simple order of life, all your uncertainties will come to nothing by the grace of the Lord and the whole matter will become clear. The Lord is very kind and He awards right understanding of His transcendental Supreme Personality to His faithful devotee. And there is no such thing as material pangs for such a pure devotee of the Lord, because the Lord protects His devotees from the demoniac material allurements provided the devotee sincerely keeps himself pure by the above mentioned process of regulated life in Krishna consciousness. Therefore there should be no fear for you. Just know the danger lurking at every step in the material world and continue to execute your devotional service with great enthusiasm and determination.
Jan 27 1971 letter Upendra
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated 16th and 17th Narayana, 484, along with enclosures of pictures and news clippings. I am so pleased to see you and your good wife in every picture in different poses of preaching work. That is real Krsna consciousness service to preach the message of the Holy Name to all persons. And they appear to be all responding very enthusiastically to your preaching; that is very good sign. If you remain pure and enthusiastic, you will have the spiritual strength to enthuse others with the chanting of Hare Krsna Mahamantra and devotional service to the Lord.
Dec 22 1971 letter Balavanta
Similarly, there is no limit to perfection—we may go on improving more and more, and still there is no limit to how much we may please Krishna, just like for the materialist there is no limit to how much Maya can kick us!
We should always be enthusiastic to try for shooting the rhinoceros. That way, if we fail, everybody will say Never mind, nobody can shoot a rhinoceros anyway, and if we succeed, then everyone will say, Just see, what a wonderful thing they have done. So if you are determined in this way to expand the Atlanta Temple, then you can try for it by begging for the protection of Krishna. Consult Satsvarupa your GBC man in this regard.
Jan 5 1972 letter Satsvarupa
In the meantime, your school at Turtlecreek Boulevard can continue functioning. I have been getting good reports that you are all serious to develop this program, so I am sure that Krishna will bless you with the desired building. Good things do not come so easily; you know the difficulties that I encountered in my first year in your country. Sometimes I did not even know where I was to live, neither when I came did I have any friends. But I was always determined that somehow I would do everything possible to fulfill the desire of my Guru Maharaja, and despite all difficulties I always remained enthusiastic. So do not diminish your program in any way now. Continue the school project enthusiastically and expect Krishna’s mercy at all times. Everything will come out alright.
Jan 20 1972 letter Hamsadutta
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 7, 1972, and with great pleasure I have noted your unbounded enthusiasm to carry out this great mission of spreading the light of love of Godhead in this hellish material world. That is the only requirement for successfully completing the perfection of the living condition, that you should always be enthusiastic to perform services unto the Lotus Feet of the Lord despite all obstacles, and then you can be assured that all of the other qualities or necessities for pure devotional service will be met, such as patience, determination, etc. and then without doubt you shall be delivered to the realm of unlimited bliss, freed from all anxieties.
So far your proposals, I agree that by utilizing our knowledge of selling by selling for Krishna, that is approved by my Guru Maharaja, so it may be done very nicely. But we must always be careful to render firstly our routine devotional practices, and maintain always the highest standards of chanting, preaching, temple worship, rising early, cleansing, street sankirtana, etc.; business is secondary to our basic routine work. If the routine Krishna Consciousness program is neglected for other things, then everything else will fail. I am very much encouraged that you are anxious to engage in making money for Krishna with oil business and to print my books profusely. If this can all be managed and still the regular temple practices go on nicely, that is best. In every case, as with the question regarding whether prospectus or magazine is better, do the best needful.
April 24 1972 letter Hamsadutta
This Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more one works and renders service, the more he becomes enthusiastic. This is the secret of spiritual life. The test of spiritual life is when one can work all day long and not be tired. In the material world, we do a little work and become exhausted. 24 hours we should be engaged in some service to our capacity. That is real spiritual life.
Dec 19 1972 letter Teyjas
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 10, 1972, and I am very much disturbed to hear from you that you have become disturbed in your mind. Do not be disturbed. There is no cause for anxiety. You are doing your best to serve Krishna, that is very much appreciated, so do not lose enthusiasm out of frustration, that will spoil everything. Krishna Consciousness means we should always be satisfied and happy, not that we must work something impossible, becoming overburdened, and then because we are unhappy by so much trouble we lose enthusiasm altogether and give up all hope. No, if too much endeavour is there, that is to be avoided. By all means we must preserve our spiritual status, that is the point, not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees, life-members, this, that—no, these are only ways to engage the devotees so that they may apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practical realization of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want. If only one person daily, if we sincerely preach to such one person in a day, that is sufficient, never mind big, big programmes. So my request to you is that you do not be bothered by these things, and I have instructed Tamala Krishna and Syamasundara to send you men, so they will do it, rest assured. Krishna does not like to see His sincere devotee suffer or become frustrated or depressed. He will not stand idly by in any such case, so do not fear on that account. Krishna has got some plan for you, always think in that way, and very soon He will provide everything to your heart’s desire.
Dec 29 1972 letter Pusta Krsna
So you are very determined and intelligent boy, you have got a cool head, so I am very much confident that you will be able to render more and more the best service to Krsna and to your spiritual master. That means that you will simply introduce our Krsna Consciousness program anywhere and everywhere, without any compromise or deviation from the highest standard of devotional practice, as chalked out for us by our great predecessors. If you yourself remain always pure, then your preaching will have effect. As soon as there is little impurity, the whole thing will deteriorate and go to hell. So we shall not like to take the credit in that case, therefore I am praying simply that all of you, my advanced disciples, GBC men, sannyasis, temple officers, like that, that all of you will become sober-minded and feeling always very much responsible how the things will go on as I have given them. If you simply do as I am doing, not avoiding anything which may have to be done for pushing on Krsna’s movement, remaining always stuck up very tightly to the footsteps of Rupa Gosvami, then without any doubt you will remain always fresh and enthusiastic for working very energetically on Krsna’s behalf, without any falldown.
Oct 12 1973 letter Hamsadutta
The German devotees I have seen both in Paris and Stockholm have impressed me by their enthusiasm. . It is very encouraging, so train them nicely. The Germans are very intelligent, and they will be the future preachers. So give them nice translations of my books and you will have tremendous success in Germany. Our success is our enthusiasm. So everything we do should be done with enthusiasm, the chanting, reading, and following the rules and regulations.
Jan 11 1974 letter tkg
Yes, I agree the construction of a temple in Calcutta should wait until we finish our present projects which we have undertaken. We should not accept projects which will strain us. Bombay was a great strain, but Krsna has now given it to us. Henceforth we should not accept too much strain. It was a very bitter experience for me in Bombay. As Nair’s party was determined not to let us have the land I was more determined to take it at any cost. Krsna has helped us, but we should not strain Krsna by such action.
Jan 9 1974 letter Revatinandan
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
N.B. Regarding taking snuff, I myself take it sometimes at night because I am working at night on my books, and sometimes I become dizzy. But it is not for you to take. You should not imitate this, neither you work like me at night.