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Letter to: Pope Paul VI

—

Montreal

3 August, 1968

68-08-03

His Holiness The Pope, Paul VI

Vicar of Jesus Christ

State of Vatican City

Rome, Italy

Your Holiness:

Please accept my respectful humble obeisances at Your lotus feet. I beg to

introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of

religious life, and at the present, I am in the renounced order of Sannyas

(aged 72 years) and preaching God consciousness all over the world. I came

to America in 1965, and since then I have many followers belonging to both

Christian and Jewish faiths. And I have established 8 centers of Krishna

consciousness temples in the USA and Canada. In the month of September,

1968, I am scheduled to go to London on this mission, and maybe I can visit

other cities of European countries.

My mission is in the line of Lord Caitanya, Who is Personified Love of

Godhead, and Who advented Himself 482 years ago in India, and preached God

consciousness all over the country. His mission is to revive God

consciousness all over the world, on the basis of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Science

of God). The principle of Srimad-Bhagavatam is that any religious faith

which helps a man to develop Love of God, without any motive, and without

being hampered by any material condition, is transcendental religion. And

the best process or the easiest process, in this age especially, is to chant

the Holy name of God. From this definition of religion as we find in the

Srimad-Bhagavatam, the criterion test of religion is how it helps people to

develop his dormant Love of God, which is not artificially invoked, but it

is aroused from within by bona fide association of devotees and hearing

about God.

The human form of life is specially meant for this purpose, namely, to

invoke the dormant Love of God, because better development of consciousness

is found in the human body. Animal propensities for sense gratification

equally found both in man and animals. But the special significance of human

life is to achieve Love of God as the prime perfection of life.

Unfortunately, at the present moment people are more concerned about the

principle of sense gratification, or the animal part of human life, and they

are gradually declining in God consciousness. This tendency is very much

deteriorating, and because Your Holiness is the Head of a great religious

sect, I think we should meet together and chalk out a program for

cooperation.

The human society cannot anymore be allowed to continue a Godless

civilization at the risk of decreasing truthfulness, hygienic principles,

forgiveness, and mercifulness. Because on account of predominance of these

principles at the present moment, duration of life, strength, and memory of

the human being is decreasing. The human society is gradually degrading in

the matter of religiosity, and justice; and "might is right'' is gradually

taking the place of morality and justice. There is practically no more

family life, and the union of man and woman is gradually degrading to the

standard of sexuality. I understand it from reliable sources that people are

trying to get Your Holiness' sanction for contraceptive method, which is

certainly against any religion of the world. In the Hindu religion, such

contraceptive method or abortion is considered equivalent to murder.

Therefore, in the matter of sex, the human society is gradually degrading

even less decent than the animals. As a result of unrestricted sense

gratification, even in ordinary dealing, a man cannot trust another man,

because the cheating propensity of a man has increased beyond imagination.

Attraction of young boys for young girls is no more as a matter of love, but

such attraction is only on the basis of sexual potency. As soon as there is

slackening of sex life, there is immediately the divorce petition.

In India, which was one day the land of religion and Brahminical culture,

things have deteriorated to such an extent that a man in a higher caste is

recognized simply by putting a piece of thread on the body as a sign of

sanctity. The so-called Swamis are cheating the public because the public

also want to be cheated by cheap method of self-realization. They are

practicing so-called yoga performances for the matter of reducing fat, and

keeping the body fit for sense gratification. If somebody has no sufficient

money, it is very hard for him to get justice from the court. And if anyone

can simply bluff by so-called advancement of knowledge, he is offered the

doctorate degree. If a man is poor, he is at once accepted as non-civilized.

If a man is falsely proud, he is accepted as civilized. By frustration,

people are gradually becoming communists and hippies, and the guardians of

the society must now take up the situation very seriously, without further

delay.

The Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for overhauling the whole

situation. We are creating men of character, and we are training our

disciples to become Lovers of God, or Krishna. From the very beginning, they

are trained to refrain from the following four principles of degradation: 1)

Sex life outside of marriage, 2) Meat eating, or eating of any animal food,

3) All forms of intoxication, 4) Gambling and idle sports. The teachings are

based on authorized movement of Lord Caitanya, on the principles of

Bhagavad-gita, as the beginning, and Srimad-Bhagavatam as the graduation.

I do not wish to prolong the body of this letter further, but if you think

that a meeting with You will be beneficial for the human society at large, I

shall be very much pleased if Your Holiness will grant me an interview.

Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply.

Yours in the service of the Lord,

ACB