Titting for Tatting with NON American devotees might be OK if we were not faced with exactly what we are - but WAR is nearly upon us, and within 2 years - the entire American situation is going to be so utterly altered - severely so - all this titting for tatting will be seen for what it is: a significant waste of our precious time.

Get back into focus

Dear One and All prabhus, Please accept my obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada spoke in Mayapur in April of 1975 to the devotees from the West - but emphasizing that he was especially addressing his American disciples:

"So, this I request, especially my American disciples.

"America has good potentiality to save the world. So if you preach very nicely in your country and not all of them will be interested, but if a section of men in your country, you can turn them to become KC, it will be great benefit for the whole world.

"But the aim is the same punar janma ajaya. To gain victory over this process of birth, death, disease and old age. This is not fiction. This is fact. People are not serious but you can teach your people.

Otherwise the whole human society is at risk.

"They are like animals. Especially this communist movement is very, very dangerous, they want to make everyone big animals. They are already animal, but the communists want to make them big animals. So, I am speaking to the Americans, because America is a little serious against this communistic movement - and it can be counteracted!

"Because the process is ocurring for a very, very long time, DEVA vs ASURA. The fight between the demigods and the demons. So the same fight is going on in different name as communist and the capitalist.

"[Chuckles!] But the capitalists are also 80% to 90% demons. Because they do not know the science of God. That is demonic principle. So, there is good chance in your country to make them rectify their demoniac principle and THEN they will be VERY STRONGLY ABLE TO FIGHT with the other demons."

Srila Prabhupada did not address the devotees from any other region - least of all India - in this way. He did not "commission" any of them in this manner. Only the American disicples. Why? Because as he pointed out - "I am speaking to the Americans, because America is a little serious against this communistic movement." Every other nation on earth gave in to tyranny long ago. Gaura Kesava is from Australia. They surrendered to the communists long ago. The entire nation is on the dole in some manner or another. India? Their constitution establishes the serfdom of Socialism as its primary objective! Europe? You're kidding right? America is the last bastion of hope in this particular matter of liberty and stiff resistance to tyranny.

Why is this important to this discussion group? Because it has liberally - in the name of "discourse" - agreed to waste reams and reams of space to useless chit chat on issues that are in fact only settled on the field of battle: might makes right. Or - in the words of Srila Prabhupada - the proof is in the pudding.

I have said this previously - Gaura Kesava Prabhu and his like - men like Rocan das - who writes under the pen name of the notorious "Balavidya das" - have little to no interest in sharing Krishna consciousness with their immediate neigbhors. They have zero potency to do other than bother others.

As "American" Devotees - so commissioned by His Divine Grace in 1975 - we have a grave responsibility. We are commissioned by Srila Prabhupada in April of 1975 with the task of enlightening the American men and women with Krishna consciousness and thereby working to fully RE-INVIGORATE them with full resolve to "fight with all other demons" - and especially the communists.

The communists have not diminshed or gone away. They are the proverbial "shape shifters" in this world and disguise their true intent with all sorts of harmless-sounding descriptive terms that only serve to confuse and vitiate both the morals and the morale of the beleaguered masses.

Rules of War demand "economy of mass" and "maneuver" and these two principles amongst nine should be our beacon. Srila Prabhupada actually gave us the perfect plan of attack later in 1976 in a letter to Tamal Krishna Goswami:

20 December, 1976
76-12-20
New York

My dear Tamala Krishna,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 9, 1976.

Your book distribution report is very encouraging. If I see our leaders are enthusiastic, that gives me more enthusiasm. Your suggestion to get new buses is good. I always recommended that. I don't like old vehicles. I think one hundred buses are not sufficient for America. You propose to induce the American people to surrender to Lord Chaitanya by expansion of book distribution, that is wanted. When you come to that, that is success. Then you can take charge of the government. And, as soon as in America the Krishna conscious boys are in power the whole world will be changed. The idea is to bring under control all atheist class of men. There are two ways of bringing the opposition under control. One is by logic and philosophy, the other is by force. That was done by Bharata Maharaja when he was king of this planet.

... Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/jda

Some time back, Mother Annuttama pointed out the importance of ignoring all the wasteful arguments on topics that each of us reserves very fixed positions upon - and focusing upon what is most important, given the state of affairs in the world. Srila Prabhupada would fully agree with that. Srila Prabhupada told me personally - "Whatever will serve to maximize our local distribution of [his] books - we accept. Everything else should serve this principle."

To the best of my recollection this purpose and the methods to pursue it - have never once been broached by anyone in all this back and forth. We need to stay focused. We need to lead in our local communities somehow. We are perfectly positioned to do so throughout the US and Canada. The men and women of the US will be called upon to act in a manner they cannot envision at present. This will beg for considerate and enthusiastic association from devotees who are NOT distracted with ridiculous "side shows" invented by the likes of men like Rocan das and Gaura Kesava and so many others. Let such men subsist upon their own gas! Leave them to their conclusions and whatever they can do - they can do. We need to team with resourceful devotees - here Stateside and keep each other focused upon two things only: self-sufficient living - if and when at all possible - and the printing and distribution of Srila Prabhupada's basic books: Bhagavad Gita, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Nectar of Devotion, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-charitamrita and as many of his small books as possible!

Titting for Tatting with NON American devotees might be OK if we were not faced with exactly what we are - but WAR is nearly upon us, and within 2 years - the entire American situation is going to be so utterly altered - severely so - all this titting for tatting will be seen for what it is: a significant waste of our precious time.

Just some thoughts.
Praghosa

P.S. I will leave you all with some wonderfully "focused" letters from our Srila Prabhupada that demonstrate just how simple and considered his directions were in this regard:

Letter to Sri Govinda, 6 December 1974:
"Regarding your question, actually it is a fact that ultimately everyone should preach and distribute books if they want to please me in the best way. Book distribution must be given stress always. He has spoken the right thing. If you do this sincerely, it is a fact that Krishna will supply everything else required. So you say that your men are like the four Kumaras disobeying Lord Brahma. Does it mean you are Brahma? But, it is a fact. Here in India we are now arranging for publishing Hindi books and other languages for profuse distribution in India. That is my immediate program. I blindly follow my Guru Maharaj. I do not know what is the result. So I am stressing on this point of book distribution. He told me this personally.

Book distribution is bhagavata marga and temple worship is pancaratriki viddhi. Both are important for cultivating Vaisnavism, but comparatively speaking bhagavata marga is more important than pancaratriki viddhi. As far as possible both should go on in parallel lines, but still bhagavata marga is more important than the other."

Letter to Srutadeva 19 May 1974:
"I am always happy to hear of increasing book sales. These reports are very encouraging to me. Our real business is to print and distribute books. By doing this business, you are all becoming recognized by Krishna. Please try to continue working so nicely for Krishna, following the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, and studying my books, and you will finish your business in this material world in this life and enter into the spiritual world to live with Krishna eternally. Don't become discouraged by any so-called problems. Make your program simple, that is to say, always make sure that you are somehow or other engaged in Krishna's service, and the best service is preaching or engaging others in Krishna's service. So continue in this way and be happy.

Letter to Radha-Damodara TSKP 5 May 1976:
"Now all of you work cooperatively. I was very pleased to see how you were working so hard last year to distribute so many books. There is no instance of religious books of philosophy being distributed in such magnitude in history. Now go on enthusiastically and increase this book distribution unlimitedly."

Letter to Ramesvara 21 December 1974:
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram dated Dec.17, 1974 reading as follows: "Great success, book sales for weekend of Dec 13 thru 15. Tripurari BBT Party 1346 big books, L.A. 1002 big books, N.Y. over 950 big books, Atlanta Airport over 650 big books, in one day. Distribution definitely doubling in USA, Hare Krishna, Ramesvara." This kind of wonderful news is very pleasing to my heart, and I thank you all again and again. I think this is the first time in history that ever before so many religious books have sold so popularly. Four thousand books in one day is a very unique figure.

Keep distributing as many as possible in huge quantities. This is my pleasure. We must make a large propoganda program for Krishna Consciousness by distributing these books everywhere, all over the world. Just like the communists, they are very expert in distributing their literature, their propoganda. At the present moment they are distributing their literature here in India in nine different languages and it is quite effective. Therefore we must print hundreds and thousands of books and distribute them at the same speed and thus we will have a great effect on the mass population of Europe and America. If we can get the masses in the Western countries like Europe and America to become Krishna conscious, then all the rest of the world will follow. That is a fact. So please, I beg you, continue distributing my books in this way and Krishna will pour His blessings upon you all. Please keep me informed from time to time of the book sales statistics.

Letter to: Ramesvara 5 June 1974:
You have written to recommend Tripurari for sannyasi. Tripurari is however already a brahmacari so in essence there is no difference between brahmacari. I have asked Tripurari to dedicate his life to distributing my books, and he has turned out the most expert of all our sellers. It is certainly miraculous how he is distributing so many big books even to people who are not interested in Vedic literature. If he takes sannyasa he may not be able to constantly assume so many disguises in public and employ so many tricks for selling books to persons, as it is not in accord with some of the etiquette for sannyasa. Also, I have decided for the time being not to award sannyasa order. Your write this recommendation is your own idea and that he himself is perfectly happy heading up a traveling party of book distributers. So let him go on as he is doing; Krishna is giving him all facility and without question he is doing more than any sannyasi by his personally distributing hundreds of books day after day and inspiring others to follow.

Letter to Sri Govinda 31 January 1973:
"You say that you are collecting sizeable funds from incense sale and book distribution, so I expect that you will also increase your payments to my book fund as much as possible. This will be very very pleasing to me, as I am most concerned that these books of mine be printed profusely and distributed all over the world as each book has so much potency for making persons Krishna conscious. So as Chicago is one of the largest cities in the U.S., why not see if you can be the largest contributor to my book fund, although I think that you have got some stiff competition from Los Angeles branch. But if you can beat them, that will be very first class."

Letter to Kirtiraja 27 November 1971:
"Especially want that my books and literatures should be distributed profusely, but so far I understand this is not being done very perfectly. So I want that you, all my students, shall very vigorously try for this book distribution. Do not hesitate to use your American and European brains to increase, that is Krishna's special gift to you, now use it. Any activity which will please Krishna should be accepted favorably, this is our guiding principle. Now apply it in this way, by doing everything and anything for spreading this Krishna conscious literature, and this is really pleasing to Krishna, know it for certain."