My dear Hansadutta, ¶
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very encouraging letter dated January 3, 1968. Because you are a sincere servant of Krishna, Krishna is giving you gradually facilities to advance in your engagement of Krishna Consciousness. I am so glad to learn that now you have nice apartment of 4 rooms, and also a nice job for meeting your all necessary expenses. Take them as benediction from Krishna and utilize them for Krishna Consciousness business. If you can provide yourself by independent handwork then you can give up your present job, otherwise you continue with your job, even it is nonsense. The thing is, we must have sufficient time for executing Krishna Consciousness business, so you have to select which one will be suitable for you. If you think that by carving Jagannathas or painting you will have sufficient income, it is very nice. Otherwise do not give up your present job for some future hope. Rayarama’s suggestion to open an asrama is very nice. If it is possible to keep sufficient number of cows in the asrama, there can be very nice milk business and that may make sufficient income for maintaining one institution for educating children in Krishna Consciousness. Actually the modern educational institutions are different grades of slaughter houses. If you can open an ideal institution for the future children of our associates, it will be a great service. Actually as I have already discussed in my Srimad-Bhagavatam, for economic problem one requires a little land and a few cows. Then the whole economic problem is solved. We should utilize our time for elevating ourselves in Krishna Consciousness than for so-called economic development. If we are satisfied with plain living, with minimum time and the balance time is engaged for elevating our Krishna Conscious program, then every man can be transferred to Goloka Vrindaban, just in this very life. The modern civilization has encumbered the mode of living and people are engaged all the time in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. Both yourself, and your wife Himavati are good combination. If you can develop such an institution for future children of the society, or outside the society, it will be great service for the humanity. I am sure Krishna will give you more and more intelligence in this matter, if you seriously think on the subject by gradual evolution. Offer my blessings to your good wife and I pray to Krishna for your all round prosperity. Hope you are both well. ¶
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ¶