Maintaining the Routine Work
This routine work, such as chanting, speaking, rising early, cleaning, cooking and offering prasadam, arati, reading books–these activities are the backbone of our Society, and if we practice them nicely in a regulative manner, then our whole program will be successful. If we become slack or neglect these things, then everything else we may try will fail.
Delhi, 8 December, 1971
My Dear Patita Uddharana,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of November 24, 1971, and I have noted the contents. I am pleased to see that routine work is going on nicely in Columbus center under your supervision.
This routine work, such as chanting, speaking, rising early, cleaning, cooking and offering prasadam, arati, reading books–these activities are the backbone of our Society, and if we practice them nicely in a regulative manner, then our whole program will be successful. If we become slack or neglect these things, then everything else we may try will fail. So it is very important that you keep your standards very high in these activities, then your preaching will be strong. Preaching is our real business, preaching and distributing books. If your preaching work is strong, then your management of temple affairs will also become automatically very strong. Just like if the head wills it, the hand will move. Preaching is like the head of our KC Society–if the head is removed, the whole body dies. Managing is the hands, which work nicely if the head is healthy.
If the hands are removed, the body will not die, but it will be crippled. So preaching is more important than management, but both must be there if the whole body is to operate nicely.
I am encouraged that you are improving your temple quarters by decorating them nicely. This will help to attract guests and interested people. I want that a high standard should be maintained, but unnecessarily changing and redecorating is also not good. So once you have established a very nice standard, avoid too much changing it again and again. That is wasting Krishna’s money unnecessarily.
Regarding your questions, it is not very good to put “statues” of Radha and Krishna on a shelf. If they are not worshipped as deities what is the use of such display? Visitors will get the wrong idea that they are merely decorative figures or idols, that we do not take them very seriously. Why you do not worship them on the altar?
Your idea to publish a booklet of arguments against impersonalists is very good proposal. Do it nicely by mutual consultation with your learned elder godbrothers and godsisters, and if you like I can provide answers for any such questions that impersonalists frequently ask.
It is not advisable to repair and use the rejected Jagannatha deities of Boston. Better to make a new set and install them.
I hope this will meet you in good health and lively mood,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS.sda
About the Author
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
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Hare krishna Prabhuji
I am a minor so i am still under the care of my parents.
I am of srivaishnava sampradaya but I consider srila prabhupada as a siksha guru, kind of like vallabha and chaitanya. MY parents have pretty much banned my Krishna consciousness. They have made me stop chanting and my dad says he will do one round for me rather than me doing 16. They told me to stop worrying about the regulative principles(onions garlic and eggs) and following srila prabhupada’s books. They are permitting me to read them but are saying it doesnt need to be applied to life. they have banned me from going to our srivaishnava temple near our house and associating with the vaishnavas there and are saying i should focus more on my mundane education. They claim that my schooling is my duty and are saying krishna said in the bhagavad gita that you should do your duty for your way of living and should help people by doing that duty as well( which they claim is how you go to the spiritual world). I have read the bahgavad gita 3 times by both ramanuja and prabhupada and he never says that. They are mayavadis so whatever philosophy and scriptures i use to my defense, they pervert it by using their philosophy and threaten to remove my right of reading srila prabhupada’s books if i continue to beleive vaishnava philosophy. My dad is a follower of sai baba and is trying to make me one as well. they make me worship demigods and bogus gurus side by side with krishna. I have made him to satart reading the krishna book. He is 9 chapters into the book yet nothing has changed. I want to make them vaishnavas but it is almost impossible. They have also stopped my spiritual growth. What do i do? do i take sanyasa like the olden days? help me please. I want to become a vaishnava and make them also vaishnavas. srila prabhupada ki jay
Hare Krishna
Yes. It is a very difficult situation. In India most of the people are so materialistic and even though still showing some formalities of being Hindus, or Sri Vaishnavas in your case, they are actually 100% materialistic demons.
So it will be very difficult to change them. Old people are set in their ways. Generally it is young people who can understand Krishna consciousness. So if you can’t leave them you have to continue with your Krishna consciousness. Continue reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. If necessary you can read online at https://prabhupadabooks.com and continue chanting Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day and continue strictly following the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication]. As you know this is your duty. To become a pure devotee of Krishna. Everything else in your life is secondary to this primary purpose.
Yes. In today’s world you will need some way of making some income and getting some education may be a good idea. But that is not the main purpose of your life. You have to adjust things so you can do your Krishna conscious duties and also do your studies, etc. And if you are actually strictly fixed up in Krishna consciousness you will be able to succeed at your studies easily. It will help you with your studies. It will make your mind peaceful, you will no longer be agitated by so many material desires and distractions, and you will be able to achieve better results spending much less time studying.
So I think just continue with your Krishna conscious activities and get up early in the morning [4:00 AM] and spend the morning hours chanting Hare Krishna and reading Prabhupada’s books and do your studies during the day and if you can get good results at your studies. Then if the family sees you are doing well in your studies and Krishna consciousness is helping you in that way it may be OK.
The thing is the family will probably always be against your Krishna consciousness… So I think not much point you trying to convert your father, etc. Just respect them, don’t argue with them. If they tell you to do something just agree. But don’t do it if it will disrupt your Krishna consciousness. Basically ignore them. Go on with your Krishna consciousness and do as well as you can at your studies and be happy and friendly in dealing with your family and don’t say anything to agitate their minds. But do not let your family in any way disturb or reduce any of your Krishna conscious activities.
So try this and see how it goes. Think of Prahlada Maharaja, pray to him and ask him for his blessings also.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Guruji
Is it appropriate to worship Lord Krishna on alter and also keep His images on walls and shelf and can we write Hare Krishna on our front gate.
Hare Krishna Lipun
Yes. It is appropriate to worship Lord Krishna on the alter and also keep His images on the walls and shelf. The idea is we need to remain Krishna conscious. So if we see the images of Lord Krishna on the walls that will help us remember Krishna and in that way keep us in Krishna consciousness. Yes. It is very good to write Hare Krishna on the front gate. That will be very auspicious and will remind us and everyone else about Krishna.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna James Theo.
It’s impossible to say one can be a devoted Hare Krishna (vaishnava) but believes Buddhism to be a true religion.
Krishna Consciousness teaches about an eternal blissful Supreme Personality Krishna full of knowledge – His name, form, pastimes, and methods to re-establish our (living entities) lost/forgotten eternal relationship with Him. Lord Buddha denied eternal existence of both living entities and Supreme Personality by rejecting Vedic knowledge all together.
Though we accept Lord Buddha to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna (on the authority of Srimad Bhagavatam and other vedic literature), still great acharyas advise us to reject His atheistic philosophy, which was needed for that time, place and circumstances to re-establish the dharmic principles (ahimsa in particular) in that wicked society. But Krishna consciousness goes above the Dharma by re-awakening our eternal love for the all blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead – Sri Krishna.
So there lies the problem.
How does one come to live in a Buddhist community? I am a devoted Hare Krishna, I believe with all my heart that this is the true religion. I have study for over a year all aspects of this religion and know I want to be part of a community. What must I do?
Sincerely,
James Theo