Transcendental Gift
This transcendental gift that Srila Prabhupada gave us BTG is a wonderful treasure. I feel ecstatic when I get my BTG. The article about our dear George [January/February] and the words by Syamasundara Prabhu gave happiness to my soul. Thank you for the wonderful service. Thank you millions of times.
Premananda Gaura Dasa
Alachua, Florida
Copies for Friends
Excellent issue. Especially the articles about George, and especially "My Sweet George." Excellent writing. I am grateful to BTG for a job well done. I plan on ordering five copies for friends here in Lee County.
Robert Covington, Jr.
Cape Coral, Florida
What George Did for Us
I wanted everyone involved to know how much I enjoyed the January/February issue of Back to Godhead. One of the reasons, I admit, is your fine tribute to George Harrison. George was known throughout the world as a popular musician with the Beatles. As a musical group they changed the world in hairstyles, attitude, and youth culture. But what did George end up doing for me and for many other devotees around the world? He introduced us to Krsna consciousness in such a way that we weren't reached before. Because of him I bought my first copy of the Gita, and it was through George that I heard the chants and the songs of the Radha Krishna Temple.
Thank you for reminding us what George was like. I eternally thank George for being my true friend, and I hope Krsna has blessed him with His presence.
Robert Koenig
Mineola, New York
Torchlight
Thanks for being the torchlight of millions of aspiring devotees. The feelings after reading BTG are something really fascinating. I hope it maintains its uninterrupted and unmotivated service towards the fallen conditioned souls like me.
Vikramaditya Pandit
Via the Internet
Chanting Is for Everybody
I would like to congratulate you for the very nice picture [of two women chanting] on page 43 of the November/December issue. For the common people, it gives encouragement that every-body may join the sankirtana movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and for devotees, it is a reminder of the sincerity in chanting everybody may get, whether in Vaisnava or Western dress. Thank you.
Hamsa Rupa Dasa
Via the Internet
Perspective on Tragedy
The issue [November/December] arrived right on time to guide me through the spiritual travels of the Krsna consciousness realm. I greatly enjoyed the article titled "Feelings and Philosophy: Reactions to the Terrorist Attacks." I have often wondered how to properly react to devastation and loss due to temporariness. Thank you for sharing the views of the contributors of this article, as the tragedy of 9/11/01 needed to be explained from a Krsna consciousness perspective concerning our service in the face of many more tragic events to come.
Kalki Dasa
Crescent City, California
No Eggs
We are vegetarians and do not eat meat, fish, poultry, or eggs. Our question for you is: Are eggs acceptable to eat if they are unfertilized?
We have contacted some of the egg manufacturers here in the U.S., and they have told us that commercial eggs are unfertilized. So we were wondering if it is okay to eat these eggs, since they are not fertilized.
Ashvin and Falguni Patel
Via the Internet
OUR REPLY: It is Vaisnava practice not to eat any eggs, fertilized or unfertilized, because in either case they are considered low-class food and detrimental to spiritual consciousness. We're not aware of a specific scriptural reference on this point, but Srila Prabhupada, our spiritual guide, told us not to eat any eggs. That is the tradition. He taught that fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, and milk products are meant for human beings. These kinds of foods are indicated by Krsna's request that we offer Him "a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water." Above all other considerations, our diet is dictated by what Krsna wants.
Sixteen-Year Reader
I have been receiving your magazine now for sixteen years, and I still have every copy. I read it from cover to cover, and over the years I have ordered tapes, CDs, and books from the Bazaar. I think this magazine is the best Vaisnava magazine I have ever read. Keep up the good work. I think that Srila Prabhupada would be extremely proud of what the staff of this magazine have achieved since his passing in 1977.
Atmananda Dasa
Via the Internet
Touched by "Where to Die?"
I have been reading Back to Godhead for sometime. I was deeply touched by the article "Where to Die?: Is Vrndavana the only choice for devotees of Lord Krsna?" by Sarvabhauma Dasa (January/February). Very few people think about their own death, even though they see their kith and kin dying around them.
It brought tears of joy to my eyes when I read (on page 30) that His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada "considered it helpful when devotees chanted while he and others were departing from this world." This was also apparent when the spiritual Beatle, George Harrison, left this material world. News reports said that Hare Krsna devotees kept chanting at his bedside in the hospital during his final hours.
His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada concludes his purport to verse 2.11 in Bhagavad-gita As It Is by stating, "The body is not as important as the soul. One who knows this is actually learned, and for him there is no cause for lamentation, regardless of the condition of the material body." Sarvabhauma Dasa affirms in his article (in the sidebar on page 29) that His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada "seems to have confirmed that one's consciousness, or bhava, at the end of life is ultimately more important than one's physical whereabouts."
Thank you for carrying out the blessed task of spreading Krsna's holy names.
Suk Shah
Woodbury, Minnesota
Please write to us at: BTG, P.O. Box 430, Alachua, FL 32616, USA. Or: BTG, 33 Janki Kutir, Next to State Bank of Hyderabad, Juhu, Mumbai 400 049, India. [Phone: (022) 618-1718.] E-mail: editors@pamho.net.
Apology
Several readers objected to the painting showing Lord Krsna and Srila Prabhupada (January/February). Although the painting was meant to be symbolic, Brahmananda Dasa, one of Prabhupada's first disciples, informed us that Prabhupada said that in our disciplic succession the acarya is never shown with Krsna. We regret the error and apologize to readers disturbed by the painting.