Sripada Samadhi

My Dear Svarupa Damodara,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your letter dated December 26th, 1975, and I have noted the contents carefully. Your plan to have the Bhaktivedanta Summer Institute in one of our farms is a very good idea. But you say that there is a chance that none of our farms will be suitable. Why not? Anyway, you will be discussing it at Mayapur at which time you should fix-up everything definitely.

I have read the aims and objects of the Institute and it is done very nicely. I am satisfied that you are properly understanding the philosophy. The analysis you have given in the section “What is the Bhaktivedanta Institute”, regarding the scientists, technologists, and other so-called authorities is most accurate. According to Bhagavatam, they are all asses and cows, sa eva gokhara.

I have also suggested for the GBC’s consideration, that we introduce a system of examinations for the devotees to take. Sometimes there is criticism that our men are not sufficiently learned, especially the brahmanas. Of course second initiation does not depend upon passing an examination. How one has moulded his life—chanting, attending arati, etc., these are essential. Still, brahmana means pandita. Therefore I am suggesting examinations. Bhakti-sastri—(for all brahmanas) based on Bhagavad-gita, Sri Isopanisad, Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, and all the small paper backs. Bhakti-vaibhava—the above plus first six cantos of S.B. Bhaktivedanta—the above plus cantos 7-12 S.B. Bhakti-sarvabhauma—the above plus Caitanya-caritamrta. These titles can correspond to entrance, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. So just consider how to organize this Institute. At Mayapur we shall finalize everything.

Hoping this meets you well.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bombay

Atlanta,

My Dear Svarupa Damodara Prabhu,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 29, 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. Your book is selling very nicely in south India, people are appreciating it very much. This scientific book should be done very carefully, so that people in general may not be mislead by the over intelligent scientists. There are so many contradictory things, but we have our authority and they have their authority. Our knowledge is from vedic scriptures which we accept as definite and without any mistake. A modern scientist believes that there was no civilization before 3,000 years, our Bhagavatam was spoken by Sukadeva Goswami 5,000 years ago and he is explaining “as I have heard it from authority”, so we have got parampara system for millions of years. If there was no civilization before 3,000 years, then how this subject matter of knowledge could be discussed? How could it be received through the parampara system? So there is contradiction certainly. But the statement that there was no civilization 3,000 years ago can be adjusted by the conviction that there was civilization, millions and millions of years ago. For more information regarding vedic astronomy you can consult any learned astronomer, there are many in Calcutta, my Guru Maharaja was also very learned in this field.

My point is life comes from life. They say life has come from chemicals, so how these things can be adjusted? Besides that the scientists change their theories after some years, this proves that they have no perfect knowledge, otherwise where is the necessity of changing? That is the basic point of our argument. Perfect knowledge is never changeable. If we can prove that life comes from life, or the soul is from the supper soul, then all other things can be brought into serious consideration. So you try to prove that chemical combination can never bring about life, this is our main argument. If we can prove this particular subject matter, that the soul cannot be manufactured by combination of chemicals, then gradually we can prove that vedic knowledge is perfect, while other sources of knowledge by speculation and imagination are all wrong.

The other day I was talking on the morning walk about the sun globe. They say because it is fiery there cannot be any life there, but sometimes we see a big iron factory is full of flames from the chimney at a long distance, but does it mean there is no life in the factory? Fire is one of the five material elements, and Bhagavad-gita says that the soul is never burnt by fire. So in the sunglobe globe if the living entities have a fiery body, just as fish have body suitable for living in the water, so how is it that there is no living entity in the sun globe if they have a body suitable to live in the sun globe? In the vedic literatures it is said that there are germs (agni pok) within the fire. There are so many contradictions, but we have our own defence. Why should we blindly accept imperfect scientists, they are imperfect because they are changing their position in the name of progress. The word progress is used when there is imperfection at the beginning. So this regular changing of standard knowledge in the name of progress proves that they are always imperfect. It is a fact that they are imperfect, because they gather knowledge with imperfect senses. At any rate we cannot deviate from vedic knowledge. Regarding coming to Mayapur festival, you must come, because after that we are going to Manipur.

I will send your corrections to the editors. Thank you.

I hope this letter finds you well.

Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bombay

Atlanta,

My dear Svarupa Damodara das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 9, 1975. Regarding Manipur, I have replied your letter on November 12th and have informed them that we will be able to go to Manipur in April of 1976. And I am glad to note that Dr. Wolf is ready to help the German translation work. I know that he is a sincere devotee and I pray for his ever advancement in Krsna consciousness.

I am glad to note that your book about the origin of matter and life is progressing very well. This will be a great challenge. From the Srimad-Bhagavatam we learn that the universe is like a tree with the roots being upwards. The pole star which is situated within the Asking question starts constellation is the root. The universe is pivoting around the pole star. That is one movement. The second movement is that the sun is revolving around the universe, or as if it were going around the tree. That is the second movement. The sun is not fixed. If this is proved, then their whole scientific theory collapses. According to them, the stars are all suns. The stars may have the same composition as the sun but they are not suns. The Brahma-samhita says that the sun is the king with unlimited light and temperature. The Srimad-Bhagavatam sublime literature describes all these things and it was written five thousand years ago. And they say that five thousand years ago there was no civilization. That Srimad-Bhagavatam has this information proves that Indian civilization is the oldest civilization.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bombay

Atlanta,

My dear Svarupa Damodara das,

Please accept my blessings. Since a long time I have not heard from you. About a week before when I was in passing from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, I saw several factories for preparing chickens. The modern scientist, they say, from chemical life has come, or life from matter. So, I suggested that a little chemical composition may be made by the scientists with some yellow color, and why not put this artificial egg in an incubator and get more and more chickens. If they cannot produce even a chicken or even an egg of chicken, how can we believe their very big, big talks.

In the words of Bhagavad-gita, they are described as mudhah, mayaya-apahrta jnana. Besides that, can you tell me what is the scientific opinion of the days being consecutively Sunday then Monday, then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and last Saturday? What is the history of this set-up? (from Sunday to Saturday).

According to our sastra, sun is first, then moon, then Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, like that. In other words, from Bhagavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the sun. If that is true, then is it possible to go to the moon planet by persons who can never imagine to go the distance to the sun planet? Under the circumstances, if we say that they have never gone to the moon planet, is it exaggeration? You are a scientist, I hope you will reply these 2 points scientifically. If the moon planet is actually far away from the sun planet, how they can go there and publish in the paper that the moon planet is the nearest planet.

Enclosed you will find one form for application to a new professorship that has opened up in the big university here in Durban, South Africa. It is a university only for Indian students, and the rector there is very much impressed and eager to have one of our men with the educational qualifications to come and take the seat of professor there. The rector wants an experienced teacher for Vedic Culture. The whole Vedic Culture is discuss in our books. I think that you shall be able to do this job very well. Please fill out the form enclosed and return to the Johannesburg Temple, 59 Muller Street, Yeoville, Johannesburg, South Africa. When mentioning your qualifications, you can also mention that you are a Bhakti-sastri from (ISKCON).

 I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Mauritius

Atlanta,

My Dear Svarupa Damodara das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 16, 1975 addressed to Brahmananda Swami. The purpose of the Institute is to achieve the distinction of human life. The human being is meant for understanding his real identity. If a human being becomes entrapped with this body which may be American, Indian, brahmana, ksatriya, and so many other designations, then he remains on the platform of cats and dogs. A dog or a cat is thinking he is such and such. Similarly a human being thinks he is this and that designation, then he remains in the dog and cat category.

The Institute will be primarily for those who have not entered our temples. The subject matter will not be different from what is taught in our temples. There will be no difference between our temples and the Institute, but the Institute will be official for the general mass. It will be a formal education and they will get degree. It will be open for everyone, including those who have already entered our temples, they may also participate. But, the subject matter should not be different from what is in the temples.

I hope this meets you in good health. I have heard that Dr. Wolf has turned against us. What is his complaint?

Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bombay