Letter to: Rupanuga — Camp: 7, Bury Place London, WC 1 ENGLAND — 12 December, 1969

My Dear Rupanuga,

Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your letter dated November 18, 1969. I was for a few days thinking of you because I have not heard from you for a long time, so this letter is welcome. I am glad that things are going on nicely there and you are attempting to purchase one house. This is a very nice proposal. My Guru Maharaj advised me personally that it is better to live in a rented house than to purchase one, because in the future, the property of the society of institution may cause some disruption. On this principle, from the very beginning I was not very much after owning a monastery or temple. But in your country the high rent which we pay can be utilized for owning a house. Also, whenever we install a Deity it is better to have a permanent place. (The temple should always be situated in our own house, but so far as a center is concerned, it may not be an owned house.) And because we are now establishing Deities for regular worship, it is better that we get our own house so that we can decorate the place to our own plan. But special stress should always be given for Samkirtan, preaching and selling our literatures. I am so pleased to learn of your travelling plans for the different colleges in New York. It is very welcome scheme.

Regarding your first question, any brahmin can perform, the arati ceremony. So far as your second question is concerned, the brahmajyoti is spread everywhere and everything is sprung from the brahmajyoti. Just like this sunshine is spread everywhere in the universe and in everything within the universes namely the planets and the things within the planets. They are all production of the sunshine. The Vedic mantra says sarvam khalu idam brahman. This means everything that we see is brahma. Similarly, in the Vishnu Purana it is said that as the fire exists in one place and distributes its heat and light, similarly, the Parambrahma, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna keeping- Himself in one place, namely His Abode of Goloka Vrindaban, distributes His diverse energies in different creative force. This is also confirmed in the Brahma Samhita. Therefore, Krishna is compared with the localized Sun Deity within the sunglobe of Goloka, and the brahmajyoti is compared with the sunlight and all creative manifestations, both material and spiritual, are productions from that brahmajyoti. In other words, the brahmajyoti being non-different from Krishna, and all productions thereof being non-different from the brahmajyoti, everything is in Krishna; but not necessarily is Krishna Personally present there. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita.

Regarding your third question, the Lord controls the senses of everyone, either he is devotee of nondevotee. Therefore, He is called Hrishikesha, the Controller of the senses. But in the case of a devotee, the senses are so controlled that the devotee gradually approaches Krishna, whereas for the nondevotee whose senses are engaged for personal sense gratification, they are simply sanctioned by the Lord. In other words, the nondevotee who is engaged in sense gratification cannot go on with his business without the sanction of the Lord.

Regarding your final question about non-manifested state and the aggregate as described in the 18th Chapter, there are two stages of material elements. One is manifested and the other is the original stock, which is non-manifested. Just like any material thing, take for example earth: There is the stock of earth and there are the earthen pots and bricks. These objects made of earth are manifested. But both in the manifested and non-manifested states they are material elements. So far as the aggregate, this is the Mahat Tattva. The Mahat Tattva interacted by the three qualities divides the aggregate total material into different elements. I hope this clears up your questions.

Please offer my blessings to all of the devotees in your center. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami