Pet (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"pet" |"pets"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Seattle 15 October, 1968:

Regarding Mr. Fugate in Florida: I have read the letter, the copy of which you have sent to me, and I am forwarding it to Nandarani. Because she is also very much surprised at the behavior of Mr. Fugate in connection with Mahapurusa. After all, this class of men, they are falsely puffed up that they know something about mysticism, but actually they want to be flattered by somebody. So they are keeping some spiritual master or instructor, means to keep them as pet dog and cat. I think Mahapurusa may not have spoken anything which is very offensive, but he was so intolerant that he could not give him shelter even for one day. So he was so angry. That is not the sign of a mystic. Anyway, please try to deal with him softly because he has got some tendency for spiritual upliftment of his life, but he is misguided or without any knowledge in the line. Neither he is ready to accept any bona fide instructor, this is his position so far I can understand. There is a proverb in Sanskrit that you speak truth but don't speak unpalatable truth. When you speak the truth it must be very palatable. So this social convention is not applicable to a person who is preaching the Absolute Truth.

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 19 November, 1968:

Regarding your prediction of cataclysmic earthquakes in this side of your country, your fear of my life is certainly natural. I was pet child of my father whom I lost in 1930, and since then nobody was taking care of me as affectionate son. But Krishna has sent me so many fathers to take care of me in a far distant place in USA. So I am fortunate enough that you are all so anxious, but we must always depend on Krishna. Rest assured that this nonsense idea of cataclysmic earthquakes will never take place. And even if it takes place, why should we be afraid of it? As soon as there is sign of such earthquake, we shall sit down together and chant Hare Krishna. So it will be a great opportunity of meeting death while chanting Hare Krishna. If one dies on sound condition of body and mind chanting Hare Krishna, he is the most fortunate man.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969:

I have asked Tamala to contribute to me $750 against delivery of 5000 copies of Back To Godhead. By selling only 1500 copies at 50 cents, they cover the whole $750. The balance 3500 copies left for distribution either may be used for profit or they may be distributed freely. In neither case are we losers. But this program must be executed. I think you have got now license for kirtana on the street so you can now follow the same principle. In other words, I am just claiming this contribution as your pet child. My father was very much affectionate, and in my childhood, whatever I wanted from my father he would at once give me. One time he purchased for me one rifle, and so after taking it I demanded that he must give me another. My father denied "You already have one. Why do you ask me for another?" So my argument was that I must have two rifles, one for each hand. Due to my obstinacy my father finally agreed. Later on when I was young and lost my father, I was very sorry to have lost such affectionate father, but by Krishna's Grace, I have now many American fathers and mothers. So I am appealing to all of my American fathers and mothers to help me by this contribution.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Gaura Hari -- Los Angeles 9 July, 1971:

And it is very encouraging to hear that so many new devotees are coming. That is an indication of your sincerity. The more sincere you are in pushing this movement forward, so Krishna will reciprocate and send you many new devotees. Thank you very much. So give them protection and instruct them so that they may not go away. We recruit devotees with great difficulty. So they must be well-treated. New men may not always behave so nicely but we must be tolerant. To train a new man is like training a wild animal to be a pet. Just like the tiger is trained in the circus and later on they are dancing to the tune of the master. So the point being stressed is training. A preacher should always be tolerant.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Ahmedabad 14 December, 1972:

Your next question is, should we love Krishna or love the spiritual master: You cannot go to Krishna directly, loving Him. It is common sense that if Krishna is the object of your love, His pet dog is also the object of your love. Friends meet friends and if the friend is with his dog the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not? So the man becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country. The conclusion is this: Without pleasing the spiritual master he cannot please Krishna. If anyone tries to please Krishna directly, he's fool number one.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Yes, if one simply comes to that platform of spontaneous love for the spiritual master, then very quickly he will get love of God, or Krishna, and his all hankerings and lamentations of life will be finished. That is the process. Just like when two friends meet and, if the friend is also with his dog, the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not? So the friend becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country sometimes when I used to walk in the Regents Park early mornings. So it is like that, the spiritual master is the pet dog of Krishna, and if he is pleased so Krishna is also pleased. That is the process.

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

If I say, Yes, I like rasagulas, I like this type of incense, I like this and that—so if you bring me rasagulas, that incense, like that, that will be pleasing to me, will it not? But Krishna is not so rascal as me, He wants only little flower, some water, that's all, but main thing He wants is our devotion, nothing more:

manmana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaisyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo'si me.

(BG 18.65)

"Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." So to become the friend and the devotee of Krishna, that is required. Just become the pet dog, that is surrender.

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

"There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear."

So that will be the supreme perfection of our existence, to come to that point of being best friend, best devotee of Krishna. And how is that? If we become simply engaged in His preaching work, trying with whatever talent or education or experience or material advantages we have got, to spread Krishna Consciousness message all over the world. That is best friend of Krishna, that is Krishna's pet dog.

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

So I am pet dog of my Guru Maharaja, and you have helped him so nicely to push on the message of Lord Krishna or Krishna Consciousness Movement, and I am very much pleased by your serious and sincere attitude, so you will get all the full blessings of my Guru Maharaja, that you may know for certain.

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

I know you are very intelligent boy, and I like you very much, you are better than my own son, and I am so much pleased that you are displaying gradually more and more the qualities of becoming Krishna's pet dog as described above. If you have got any time, you may kindly write to me, or you are free to come to India to live with me for some time, as you like.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Tulsi -- Mayapur 7 October, 1974:

I am glad that you are taking the recommendation of new initiates very seriously, that they are writing essays. Yes, it is a serious matter. Not that let me take a spiritual master as a pet and I can do whatever I want. No, one must be prepared to follow the order of the spiritual master with life and soul.