Sometimes devotees mention ruefully that it was not always Prabhupada who was writing the letters, but Prabhupada's secretary. They seem to think that this makes the letters less valuable. But incoming mail was always read to Prabhupada, he would make some reply, his secretary would compose his statements into a letter and Prabhupada would sign it. So actually these letters were "written" by Prabhupada. This practice began in the early 1970s, but even after that some letters were dictated directly by Prabhupada and given to a typist to transcribe.If the letters are relative, are they relevant at all? Yes! For example, the Internal Revenue Service writes individual letters to taxpayers, relevant to their particular financial status, but those letters of judgement are studied widely by tax lawyers and others interested in understanding how the IRS functions.When we are sensitive to the context of the letters, we get to know what it is like to "be" Prabhupada, to observe how he thinks. Letters have been called "seeing the person without make-up." Here is a letter by Prabhupada that reveals his deep humility, Srila Prabhupada said:Personally, I am nonentity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and He has kindly sent you all boys to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my Spiritual Master, because He has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by His order. (Letter, 68-10-34)Later in the same letter, he revealed his great energy to preach:So you can also write to them that they have gone there on a mission to work for the society, so they should try their best to remain in India and work for the society ... But they must be enthusiastic. If they become dead bodies, then it is not possible. I do not know why American boys should be so much lethargic.We should not be addicted to a diet of only letters, and neither should the letters be only used in debates. In Prabhupada's books we can find statements for and against many issues, as well as statements that balance the extremes. In his letters we find the same statements applied in individual circumstances. But because they are personally applied, they are not always applicable across the board. We should not superficially gather information for one side of a debate from the letters, but should look at both sides of the issue and at Srila Prabhupada's purports. We have to carefully study the letters to understand the context of time and place, and apply the other techniques previously mentioned.Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Prabhupada Appreciation-Appreciating Srila Prabhupada's Letters -Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
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