To Viśvambhara Dāsa

Letter to Viśvambhara Dāsa, 16 November 1998

[…] There are two things, idealism and reality. The ideal and the practical. We all join with some ideal in mind when we come to Krsna Consciousness. There is an ideal of how Krsna Consciousness will be and of who we are. As time goes on the reality of ourselves and Krsna Consciousness emerges and unless we can adjust to that and live with that life becomes a struggle to remain in the ideal, while running away from reality. Krsna Consciousness is a wonderful thing and ISKON is wonderful. But we as conditioned living entities, struggling in the material world bring all our imperfections into it and therefore the reality of what Krsna Consciousness is emerges in time. Gurus fall down, devotees come and go, material desires weaken the fibre of the Society, personal ambition etc. Then we as individuals have different abilities than we aspire for. While our desire is great, our ability is not. Many material aspirations lurk in the heart, sensual weakness, sex life and so on. Mostly sex life. These make our attempt at Krsna Consciousness a struggle and the beautiful goals we aspire for seem so far away. With such defects the chanting becomes distant, hearing a chore, devotee association cause of offenses and we even ignore the Deities. That is the reality.

However with all such difficulties, a vaisnava continues forward. Why? Because material life is a dead end Street. There is nothing there. Better struggle to become Krsna Consciousness than die in sense gratification. It will be a great struggle, but those who have faith in Krsna s words and take shelter of vaisnavas, will overcome the great gulf between reality and the ideal and they will make them one. Then it will become very easy. But it takes time and great effort.

[…] Help me to serve Srila Prabhupada. I cannot do it on my own. I depend upon others and I depend on you. You are like my son. I would like to transform NVD into the spiritual world, for all people to see. Whatever blessings Srila Prabhupada gives for that service I give to you. Take it all. All your desires will be fulfilled, in time. But do not go away. That is my request. […]