Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your nice letter dated Feb. 15, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. I can see how you are advancing in Krishna Consciousness by the feelings expressed therein, and I am so glad you are feeling such transcendental pleasure in serving the Lord. This transcendental pleasure is unlimited and increases as we increase our desire to give more and more voluntary service. To surrender to Krishna all at once is not generally possible, but as we serve Krishna more and more, we gradually become more and more surrendered at His Lotus Feet. So you please continue to serve Krishna in these ways you have mentioned, and do not feel that your service is any less valuable than that of others. In the transcendental loving service of the Lord, it doesn't matter whether we are working, cooking, painting, writing, chanting, or whatever, they are all the same. There are no such distinctions of higher and lower on the transcendental platform. The important thing is that we are engaging our time and energy in the service of the Lord. After all, we are so tiny, what can we do? Krishna sees simply that this time is being spent in His service. Please continue to help Gargamuni in his efforts to spread Krishna Consciousness, and chant, and continue your duties, and in this way you will be happy and successful in Krishna Consciousness. I am happy to hear you are so much anxious in helping to start a new temple. Your enthusiasm is very encouraging to me; there is great need for the spreading of Krishna Consciousness, and we need so many enthusiastic boys and girls for carrying on this great mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. My Guru Maharaja wanted that this Krishna Consciousness be spread all over the Western countries especially, and now in my old age, I am leaving this great responsibility in the hands of all you my students.
Regarding your questions: Once prasadam (water, or foodstuffs) is offered to the Lord, His Plate should remain on the altar for about 15-20 minutes (while the portion in the pots may be taken by the devotees). Water need only remain there for a few minutes. Once the prasadam is removed from the altar, and touched by us, it should not again be placed on the altar. Whatever we offer should be as fresh and pure as is possible.
So long we are engaged in the service of the Lord, He has assured us all protection. But if we are attacked, of course we must defend ourselves as best we can. Nobody can compare with the Merciful Nityananda. He can defend Himself quite well; He could have killed the sinners in an instant, but He had decided that He wanted to save these sinners. He was setting an example that we have to preach Krishna Consciousness even at the risk of personal violence. Just like the children sometimes become violent, but the father knows he can defend himself at any time, and so he tries to teach them correctly by reprimanding them.
Yes, it is respectful to circumambulate the temple, keeping your right side to the Deities if possible. You may dance around the temple in this way if you like.
(Letter to Karunamayi - Los Angeles, 25th. February,1968).

I am so happy to know that the activities in London center are progressing with such great success. It is our desire that we shall always be engaged fully 24 hours in the service of Lord Krishna; in this way our lives will become perfectly joyful simply by singing and dancing and taking Prasadam. So if you carry on your service to Radha and Krishna according to the prescribed rules, your love of Krishna will increase more and more; this you are seeing practically by the Grace of Krishna.
So far colors that may be offered to the Deities, all colors may be utilized just suitable to your scheme. But black should not be used for the Deities dresses or for Temple decorations.
Krishna as He is appearing in our Temples is in the Kisora age, and the dress which I have introduced is His dress of Kisora age. In our Temples the Deities, Radha and Krishna are worshiped as Laksmi-Narayana with all the opulences of Their Majestic Lordship in Dvaraka. The worship of Radha-Krishna as They appear in Vrndavana is a very advanced stage, so we worship Them in the Temples as Laksmi-Narayana. Actually there is no difference because Laksmi-Narayana is directly the expansion of Radha-Krishna. We are following the prescribed method of Temple worship as it is the effective program for developing the highest perfection of pure love of Krishna.
If Prasadam is to be honored in the Temple room, the curtains may be drawn before the Deities while the devotees are taking Prasadam. The best arrangement is to honor Prasadam in a separate room for the purpose, if possible.
The arati articles may be returned to the same places, especially the conch shell, but the deeps, lamps, should be set down from their places because they must be washed.
I am very glad to learn that the three girls from France are advancing nicely under your tutelage. Please continue to train them up to chant regularly and to always keep engaged in Krishna activities. As ideal householder girl, you are giving them the best example of Krishna conscious life. Please offer my blessings to them and to all the devotees.
(Letter to Yamuna - Los Angeles, 16th. january,1970).