Regarding deity worship, the standard of deity worship must be kept very high in all our ISKCON centers. There should be no question of decrease, only how to increase in the quality and opulence of our arcana offerings. To supervise this essential Krishna Conscious activity requires a very fastidious person, one who can remember everything and be very conscientious to prepare everything nicely, be timely, like that. If you are very much attracted to pujari work then you should be given opportunity in some one of our ISKCON Temples to practice it very nicely. For that you consult with the officers and GBC.You have been my student for some time, and I consider that you are one of the big men who are assisting me in this vast work, so I am naturally concerned for your well-being. I want that you should give up this idea of outside living and working and regard it only as a temporary trick of Maya. I need such strong men as yourself to stick with me and together we shall go back to Home, back to Godhead. If you have no other engagement, I would be greatly pleased if you could take up this work of selling my books and literatures everywhere, as many as possible. ( Letter to Badarinarayana,- Delhi 18th. November, 1971).Bhānu: In the morning the Deity should be woken up not before five? The Deities should be woken up at five in the morning? Some temples it is 4:30, some temples five.Prabhupāda: Just one and a half hours before sunrise. If the sunrise varies, then the waking time also should vary.Sudāmā: So according to season, we should...Prabhupāda: The rule is that one and a half hours before sunrise. So that you have to make, when the sunrise, then just one and a half hour before, maṅgala-ārati.Sudāmā: So that's when the ārati begins, when the curtains are opened and we start offering.Prabhupāda: Hm?Sudāmā: One and a half hours before sunrise is when the ārati begins. Then you wake them up before.Prabhupāda: No, no. Just waking, ārati begins. And you can offer something.(Room conversations, April 22, 1972, Japan).Just yesterday I have arrived here in Calcutta, and by the end of the week expect to go to Mayapur where are having a grand celebration on the Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.Yes, you have my sanction for installing the new Deities with the cooperation of Karandhara and/or Sudama Maharaja (I think he is there on the West coast). They know how to do it. The more you can decorate the Deities soberly, not fanatically, the more you become decorated with all honors. At the present moment, civilized man has forgotten how to decorate, therefore this mini-skirt—the business of the trees—to remain naked. Human being means to be decorated, like Krsna is decorated, not naked.You say that you have eight brahmanas, that is very good, now engage all of them so that everyone becomes expert. By nicely worshiping the Deities we can be so pure in condition of health, mind and intelligence. Yes, all blessings of Krsna upon Saranam dasi, for her loyal book distribution. I am very pleased, and you can give both her and Satyaki dasi second initiation. So now you can have ten brahmanas, yes? I have also received your $100.00 daksina and I thank you very much for it.Regarding Nanda Kumar, try to help him. He is a good boy and he will come out again very nicely. But he must marry that girl, we cannot play with sex-life, that is not our business. If he shows he is faithful for three months, then he again can take care of Radha-Krsna.Your book distribution, that is very nice. Our books are unique, all this distribution means that they are being appreciated. There is no such literature throughout the whole world.Now keep yourself pure and Krsna will help you. Krsna has become merciful upon you. I am only the agent. He has special favor upon Americans, so tell your countrymen to take advantage and spread our teaching all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. Hare Krsna.(Letter to Bhakta dasa - Calcutta, 4th. March, 1973).
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