Professional Documents
Culture Documents
As for the GBC members, if we study one sloka daily in our classes it will take you
more than 50 years to finish Srimad-Bhagavatam alone, so at least 50 years
matter is already there minimum. So we can finish Bhagavatam once in our
lifetime and the next generation can begin again, like that. From a practical point
of view, as I have not yet finished Srimad-Bhagavatam and we have got now 100
branches, so by the time I am finished with Bhagavatam there must be at least
1000 branches. I have worked alone, now you are so many. Our scope is
unlimited, resources unlimited, so we must be exceptionally enthusiastic and
sober-minded and responsible for working in that spirit.( Letter to Satswarup 17
june 1972)
All the children should learn to read and write very nicely, and a little
mathematics, so that they will be able to read our books. Cooking, sewing, things
like that do not require schooling, they are learned simply by association. There is
no question of academic education for either boys or girls—simply a little
mathematics and being able to read and write well, that's all, no universities.
Their higher education they will get from our books, and other things they will get
from experience, like preaching, SKP, etc. Alongside the regular classes in reading
and writing, the other routine programs they should also participate in, like arati,
kirtana, preaching, Sankirtana, like that.
You ask about marriage, yes, actually I want that every woman in the Society
should be married. But what is this training to become wives and mothers? No
school is required for that, simply association. And it is not necessary to say that
women only can instruct the girls and men only can instruct the boys, not when
they are so young. At 12 years, they may be initiated.
A woman's real business is to look after household affairs, keep everything neat
and clean, and if there is sufficient milk supply available, she should always be
engaged in churning butter, making yogurt, curd, so many nice varieties, simply
from milk. The woman should be cleaning, sewing, like that. So if you simply
practice these things yourselves and show examples, they will learn automatically,
one doesn't have to give formal instruction in these matters.
So far geography and history are concerned, you may teach geography as
it is, there is no harm to getting knowledge about our material earth planet, even
up to learning all of the countries and places, names, landscape, production,
natural resources, climates, oceans, deserts, everything should be there. Krsna
Consciousness devotees shall not be known as fools. All of you nice boys and girls
have had that kind of education, and you are preaching now Krsna consciousness
in its pure form, so there is no hindrance for learning such things, just as you have
also learned them as child. So teach them in this way, exactly as you have also
been taught geography, history and other things. So far history is concerned, we
shall not teach the history as Darwin has given, but there is no harm to learn what
is the history of your country, just like Washington was the first president, and
after him came so-and-so, like that. If the modern historians have altered the
story of history to fit their own view of things, that can be avoided, anything like
opinion and speculation, but the bare facts as much as we know them may be
learned by the young children, there is no harm. ( Letter to dinatarini 4 Jan 1973)
Perth, Australia
14 May, 1975
75-05-14
Dallas
My dear Yadunandan,
You have suggested that some men are best engaged in doing
business. I agree. All grhasthas who are interested in doing business should do so
in full swing. Yat karosi yad asnasi, yaj juhosi dadasi yat/ yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusvamad arpanam [Bg. 9.27]. Let this be the guiding principle. So let all the
grhasthas who wish to, execute business full-fledgedly in the USA and in this way
support Gurukula. Business must be done by the grhasthas, not by the sannyasis
or brahmacaris. Neither the sannyasis or brahmacaris can be expected to support
Gurukula. The parents must take responsibility for their children, otherwise they
should not have children. It is the duty of the individual parents. I am not in favor
of taxing the Temples. The parents must pay for the maintenance of their
children. Neither can the BBT be expected to give any loans. Now the BBT 50% for
construction is pledged to the projects in India—Bombay, Kuruksetra, Mayapur.
The profits from the businesses should first go to support Gurukula and balance
may be given for the local Temple's maintenance. Grhasthas can do business. It is
best if the Temple Presidents are either sannyasis or brahmacaris. If the grhasthas
want to do book distribution, they should be given a commission of 5 to 10% of
which part must go to Gurukula. For any others who are engaged in important
Society projects, they must get something for maintaining their children at
Gurukula. So far as Prasadam and residence, they are already getting that free.
But sometimes, grhasthas make their own arrangement for cooking. For that we
can give no expenditure. Just try to improve the Prasadam system so nicely that
one will not want any other arrangement. Another thing, is that the grhasthas
may be encouraged to do agriculture. In the Indian villages like in Vrindaban, they
get enough ghee for their personal use, and sufficient excess to be sold to the
merchants, who then also get some money. Cow protection means good food and
good trade. So I can give you suggestions how to manage everything, but it is up
to the GBC to practically execute all these points.
You cannot survive without my mercy and I cannot survive without your
mercy. It is reciprocal. This mutual dependence is based on love—Krishna
Consciousness.