Prabhupada, Thursday, February 19, 1970:
It is most important that our activities be regular or, in other words, on a schedule. Everyone should chant his beads sixteen rounds daily without fail and follow the regulative principles strictly. These basic Krsna Conscious duties are essential to be performed regularly, and they will give you the necessary strength of spirit to keep always fixed up in devotional service. As soon as a devotee is regularly engaged in this way, always engaged in Krsna Consciousness, Krsna will reveal the whole spiritual science from within the heart of such sincere devotee.
This program of chanting and following the rules and regulations will give you spiritual intelligence for understanding the Bhagavad gita and our other scriptures also. In this connection, I think that since you have some difficulty in reading our English edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, you can study more easily from the copies of Mandali Bhadra’s German translations of the same. Perhaps you can assist him in some respect also by proofreading his work. So you may inquire from him in this way.
It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that this devotional service is so powerful that even if a devotee occasionally falls down from the standard there is no loss for him. If he is sincere, he will automatically rectify his error and Lord Krsna immediately purifies him from within. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita also, that for the devotee Krsna gives all protection, and there is never any loss for him. But if one is not engaged in Krsna Consciousness, there is no gain for him in any position of material life.
So we must stick firmly to the chanting of the Holy Name and following the rules. This will keep us from being tricked by Maya. But there is no question of disappointment for some temporary bewilderment. We are all new and weak in this Krsna Consciousness. Just as everyone in the hospital is diseased, and although they are trying to become well there is a chance that anyone of them may relapse, but that does not mean that the hospital should be closed. It is now our business to struggle with Maya, and when we win out by Krsna’s grace that is to regain our natural healthy life of Krsna Consciousness. So there is no case of disappointment.
I am very happy to know that so many young boys and girls are now becoming attracted to the Hamburg Temple. I can understand that there is great interest in Germany for Krsna Consciousness. So continue to push our Sankirtana movement more vigorously so that the people may become more and more attracted by this transcendental sound–Hare Krsna–and that will be the greatest service to bring them the true welfare and happiness of life.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
March 4, 1970, Los Angeles, Letter to Madam Sumati Morarji Baisaheba, Scindia House, Bombay, India
For the present, I have a plan for opening 108 centers all over America, Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia. I have got at present 26 centers. I have sent some of my devotees in Germany where people are more interested in this Hare Krsna movement. You will be pleased to know that simply in Germany alone our `Hare Krishna Mantra” record has been sold to the extent of 57,000 copies.
Yet another wonderfully inspiring posting. And very encouraging at that. I feel that we have to make a conscious and strong effort to get back to the roots and pick up the pieces from somewhere in the mid-seventies of the last century. Frankly, I wasn‘t aware that Srila Prabhupad had so much hope for Germany. In fact, sometimes I had
an opposite impression, being the conditioned soul I am. In one early issue of the „Krishna Kathamrita Bindu“, the e-zine from Orissa, there was a story that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur was once asked, what would be the most gladdening thing to his heart. He is said to have replied: „When there will be the sound of a Mridunga in a German village.“
Atmavidya Das