Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 19, 1972 and I have noted the contents. I am pleased to know that all of you are enthusiastically engaged in distributing our books. In this modern Godless civilization, everyone is greatly suffering due to lack of the real knowledge of Krishna consciousness, and our task is very great and very important. We must deliver this pure science of God to everyone and give them the chance to make their lives successful. So you continue this book distribution program very nicely, and at the same time take advantage of these books yourselves. Not that you just distribute but neglect reading them yourself. Always read them, especially Krsna book. Every time you have a spare moment, you should read. This will help you to advance in Krishna consciousness, and will give you the ability to convince others also.   (More...)

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Aug. 2. Regarding thinking of Krishna at the time of death. It is stated in Bhagavad gita 8th chapter as follows; abhyasa yoga yuktena/ cetasa nanya gamina/ paramam purusam divyam/ yati parthanucintyan [Bg. 8.8]. He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead his mind constantly engaged in remembering me, undeviated from the path, He oh Partha is sure to reach Me. The proccess for remembering Krishna is very easily done by chanting Hare Krishna Maha mantra. How one should think of Krishna, that is given in the next verse: "One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, Who is the oldest, Who is the controller, Who is smaller than the smallest, Maintainer of everything, and Who is beyond all material conception, Who is inconceivable, Who is always a person and luminous like the sun, and Being transcendental, beyond this material nature.'' So Krishna is not something impersonal or void. So you should read my books and try to understand the nature of Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it will be easy for you to think of Him.   (More...)

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter with enclosed essay on the "black holes.'' So you have scientific mind and you want to use it in the service of Krsna. This is very good, and this I want that scientists step forward and preach Krsna consciousness. We are not preaching something fanaticism nor dry philosophy. Krsna consciousness is jnanam and vijnanam, practical knowledge. So I have given all the points in my books, and you should read them thoroughly.   (More...)

Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12-30-74 and have noted the contents. I am so glad to see that you are so much absorbed in our philosophy and comparing it to other philosophies. I have written many books already which are full of the different aspects of this deep philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. I request you to study them carefully and you will find a treasure house of scientific information in relation to the ultimate goal of life and conquering the major problems of life, birth, death, old age, and disease. Visit our temple there in Brooklyn as much as you can. By associating with the devotees there, your spiritual life will become fully developed.   (More...)

Your list of qualifications for choosing candidates for 2nd initiation is very good. Regarding Rudra dasa, he can worship Gaura-Nitai in his home. The most important element for their worship is the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra. They can have at least one arati and whatever foodstuffs are prepared can be offered. Regarding my books, everyone should read. I am also reading. Everyone should be engaged 24 hours. That is the sum and substance. How much you should read and how much you should do other types of service, that has to be decided by each individual devotee. Eating and sleeping should be minimizednot a single moment should be misused.   (More...)

Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18-9-74 and have noted the contents. Thank you for reading my books and appreciating them. Please continue to do so. That will help you advance nicely in spiritual life. By reading my books and chanting Hare Krishna, your life will become perfect. Hare Krsna-Japa 62">The reason for the Japa beads is so that you can keep track of how many times you are chanting Hare Krishna mantra daily. It should be chanted a steady amount of times regularly. We chant at least 16 times around the string of 108 beads daily (one full mantra on each bead). This keeps us strong in spiritual consciousness. Try to visit our temples in London, Paris, Rome, etc. as much as you can. The association of the devotees there will help you to become fixed in Krishna Consciousness. If this is not possible then you can correspond with the devotees at those temples.   (More...)

Yes, as a Sannyasi and GBC your first duty is to read my books. Otherwise how will you preach? In order to remain steadily fixed in Krishna consciousness there must be a sound philosophical understanding. Otherwise it will become only sentiment. Whenever you find time please read my books.    (More...)

As to your question concerning whether relationships between devotees are eternal, the answer is "yes.'' This is confirmed by Sri Narottama dasa Thakura: "cakhudana dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei'', he is my Lord birth after birth. In this way you have to understand, by studying carefully the philosophy. We have got so many books now and I want all of my disciples to read them carefully. Soon we shall be instituting Bhakti-sastri examinations and all brahmanas will have to pass. So utilize whatever time you find to make a thorough study of my books. Then all your questions will be answered.   (More...)

All of the leaders should study my books books very carefully, since now everyone will have to appear for the examination. But I don't get any time to go into seclusion. My Guru Maharaja also did not approve of seclusion. He used to say: "Dusta mana, tumi kisera Vaisnava? Pratisthara tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nama kevala kaitava.'' My dear mind, what kind of Vaisnava are you? Simply for cheap adoration you sit in a solitary place and pretend to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, but this is all cheating.   (More...)

For further understanding of this religious process, I would recommend that you read our three books, namely Sri Isopanisad, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and Easy Journey to Other Planets. When you have finished them, you can read Srimad-Bhagavatam and Teachings of Lord Caitanya. Besides these we have many other books and our Back to Godhead magazines, in which we fully describe this religion only. So please read them one after another, and whenever there is a question you may write to me, and I shall be very glad to answer you as far as possible.   (More...)