My dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your divine, merciful lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace.
When I joined the Boston temple in 1969, Satsvarūpa Dāsa was the temple president and also
the editor of BTG, and he always wanted articles for the magazine, so I wrote one, entitled “The
Genuine Spiritual Master.” By the time the issue with my article reached you in February of 1971, I
was with you in Gorakhpur, India.
After reading my article you called for me. The temple room was dimly lit – only some narrow
shafts of light pierced through the slim openings in the wooden shutters along the side. Sitting
alone on your raised cushion at the far end of the room, you were the very image of the eternal
spiritual master, and your voice resonated with the truth of eternal time. I sat at your feet, eyes
and ears wide open.
“I saw your article in Back to Godhead,” you said. “It was very nice. You should write. This is
your first business. Go on writing. We require many, many such articles about Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness. So you should devote yourself to writing.”
“I will try,” I said. “But why are you asking me? I have no special qualification.”
“We require many to do this work, and we need you also. So, you travel with me and I will
guide you. You come and stay with me.”
I felt thrilled and honored. You had never before given me a direct instruction. In fact, we had
hardly ever spoken, and now you were inviting me to stay with you so you could guide me in
writing.
Over the years you repeated your instruction for me to write. In a letter to me dated August 12,
1971, you wrote, “In the midst of your heavy duties, go on writing something glorifying the Lord
and put our philosophy into words. Writing articles means to express oneself how he is under-
standing the whole philosophy. So this writing is necessary for everyone.”
In 1973 I sent you my Vyāsa-pūjā offering, and on August 23, from Bhaktivedanta Manor, you
sent me an encouraging note: “I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and the nice Vyasa-
puja offering you sent. I have sent it to Satsvarupa Goswami for printing in the BTG. Writing is a
very important part of our work, and Satsvarupa is always anxious to have new material from the
devotees for expanding the BTG. You have a nice talent for writing, and practice makes perfect,
so continue. It will be appreciated.”
In recent years I have edited Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective
and written Watering the Seed – With Teachings from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupāda; Many Moons: Reflections on Departed Vaishnavas; I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story;
and Dancing White Elephants: Traveling with Śrīla Prabhupāda in India, August 1970–March 1972. This
year I submitted two articles to BTG, which have been accepted for publication, and I am in the
last stages of completing my latest book, about meeting you and the devotees in Boston, April
1969–October 1970.
On this occasion I pray to you to bless me that I can continue to serve you, the devotees, and
the world by writing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the right consciousness. As you wrote in your
commentary on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.132, “It is certainly not good to write literature
for money or reputation, but to write books and publish them for the enlightenment of the gen-
eral populace is real service to the Lord. That was Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s opinion, and
he specifically told his disciples to write books. He actually preferred to publish books rather than
establish temples. Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees,
but the business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and dis-
tribute them widely. According to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, distributing literature is
like playing on a great mṛdaṅga. Consequently we always request members of the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them
widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, one can
become a rūpānuga devotee.”
I am assisted in my work by a team of expert editors, headed by Kālachandjī Dāsa, and I
request you to kindly bless them too.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your eternal, grateful servant,
Giriraj Swami

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