Berkeley ¶
My dear Jayatirtha das, ¶
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 12, 1975 with enclosed photographs and also your letter of November 8th. I note that starting December 15th there will be a monthly deposit in the amount of 1,900 in the Mayapur-Vrndavana fund account. You have got a good business brain and you worship the Deity very nicely. Therefore I like you. ¶
I am very glad to see that you have out-collected the Sri Sri Radha-Damodara party. This is good competition. So now is Tamala Krsna defeated by you? So one month you defeat him and another he can defeat you and in this way Radha-Damodara service will be increased by transcendental competition. This is very nice. ¶
Regarding San Diego temple, from the pictures it appears very nice. So you can get this building. It is a good house. They are all selling to ISKCON, the Christians and the Jews. They are all going to liquidation. So take it without any doubt. ¶
I am very pleased with the distribution that the new Dvaraka temple is going. When I hear of your advancement of devotional service by book distribution, it invigorates me although I am an old man. Although I am traveling all over the world, my mind is always in Los Angeles. So do everything very nicely so that very soon I may go there and see the improvement. The mrdanga-making is very important. The new bhaktas, they can be engaged in the mrdanga-making and also help Bharadraja with the doll-making. The nursery school program is very good. That is good that the mothers are being freed to increase their devotional service. It is not that women should only produce children, but they are meant for advancing in devotion. The sign Hare Krishna Colony is very good idea. You can add, the words Come and Join. Why are the French books not being composed on our own equipment? We have got so many nice machines there. I think it will be better if we do it on our own machines and save money. ¶
Regarding Berkeley temple, I note that permission for living in the building is not yet finalized. Please keep me informed. Portland is a very nice city. I am glad that we have our temple there. That is very good that Seattle does not have any debts. This is proper management. This is very much wanted. It is also very good that Jayadvaita is in Laguna Beach and is preaching there. This is our process of preaching, that one shows by his personal example, not that we preach something and then do something else. That is called cheating and that is going on in the religion, especially. We are not that kind of cheaters. And we are not that kind of so-called religionists. Yes, so you keep an eye on things there in Laguna Beach, and see that whoever takes over as temple president is trained up. ¶
Regarding the Vancouver farm, yes, the log cabin type structure you have mentioned, that is nice. Whatever is suitable, that you should do. This is the meaning of plain living and high thinking. If the chanting of Hare Krsna is not there, then there will not be any high thinking. ¶
I hope this meets you in good health. ¶
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ¶
ACBS/BS/mdd ¶