heading for cultural war?

[Guest guest]

Nice one's Braja Bihari Prabhu. Here's one more for good measure.

 

ys, kbdg

 

 

Bombay

4 February, 1972

72-02-04

 

 

 

My Dear Atreya Rsi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very nice letter of

January 10, 1972, and I am very much pleased by the sentiments expressed

therein. It is not so much that because there may be some faults in our

godbrothers and godsisters, or because there may be some mismanagement or

lack of cooperation, that this is due to being impersonalists, no. It is the

nature of the living condition to always have some fault. Even in the

Spiritual World there is some fault and envy—sometimes the Gopis will

quarrel over Krishna's favor, and once Krishna was so much attracted to

Radharani that by mistake he tried to milk the bull instead of the cow, and

sometimes when the Gopis used to put on their dress and make-up for seeing

Krishna, they would be too much hasty and smear kumkum and mascara in the

wrong places and their ornaments and dresses would appear as if small

children had been trying to dress themselves and they were not very expert,

like that. There are so many examples. But it is not the same as material

fault or material envy, it is transcendental because it is all based on

Krishna. Sometimes when one Gopi would serve Krishna very nicely, the others

would say, Oh, she has done so nicely, now let me do better for pleasing

Krishna. That is envy, but it is transcendental, without malice. So we shall

not expect that anywhere there is any Utopia. Rather, that is impersonalism.

People should not expect that even in the Krishna Consciousness Society

there will be Utopia. Because devotees are persons, therefore there will

always be some lacking—but the difference is that their lacking, because

they have given up everything to serve Krishna—money, jobs, reputation,

wealth, big educations, everything—their lackings have become transcendental

because, despite everything they may do, their topmost intention is to serve

Krishna. "One who is engaged in devotional service, despite the most

abominable action, is to be considered saintly because he is rightly

situated.'' The devotees of Krishna are the most exalted persons on this

planet, better than kings, all of them, so we should always remember that

and, like the bumblebee, always look for the nectar or the best qualities of

a person. Not like the utopians, who are like the flies who always go to the

open sores or find the faults in a person, and because they cannot find any

utopia, or because they cannot find anyone without faults, they want to

become void, merge, nothing—they think that is utopia, to become void of

personality. So if there is sometimes slight disagreements between devotees,

it is not due to impersonalism, but it is because they are persons, and such

disagreements should not be taken very seriously. The devotee is always

pessimistic about the material world, but he is very optimistic about the

spiritual life; so in this way, you should consider that anyone engaged in

Krishna's service is always the best person.

I am very pleased that you are assisting your godbrothers so nicely. Yes,

this is our real position, to be servants of the servants of the servants.

And by your quiet and humble attitude, you shall set the example of Vaisnava

so that all may learn from you, and very soon their puffed-up attitude will

disappear and they will come to you and seek your advice in matters.

I am also encouraged that you are preaching to many businessmen

acquaintances. That is very important work, so speak to them very frankly

and with strength and conviction, and they will see, that even you are

yourself a big businessman with high position and salary, still, you are a

devotee, and they will also become devotees if you ask them. And if only a

few of such big businessmen become devotees, they can change the whole

world. So it a very great and responsible task, now do it very boldly and

Krishna will reward you with all success. The secret is to engage everyone,

even big businessmen; so at first engage them in some small way so they will

not feel threatened, but they will enjoy that small service so much,

automatically they will desire for more, and then gradually you convince

them by strong arguments and engage them more and more, and then they will

perfect their lives in Krishna Consciousness, and go back Home, back to

Godhead.

Hope this will meet you in good health,

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:sda