Letters: On Maṭha-vāsa

śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ All glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga

Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha 35 Satīsh Mukherjee Road Kolkata—26 8 January, 1976

Dear recipient of my affection,

It is appropriate for the servants of the maṭha to live in the maṭha in mutual tolerance. Not everyone possesses the same nature and qualification. That is why tolerance and composure are so essential. Mainly, my point is that any individual who comes to reside in maṭha to perform śrī hari-bhajana or sādhana-bhajana does so by the strength of his pious credit, but it is not that he will be without any trace of impiety. As a fruit of piety, someone may have a desire to perform sādhana-bhajana and associate with saintly devotees, but due to previously accrued impiety, he may behave improperly. Instead of becoming angry with him, the judicious thing to do would be to lend him assistance in a mood of friendship and offer advice to correct him. A sādhu’s nature is devoid of any tendency to act violently.

nitya-śubhākāṅkṣī Your eternal well-wisher,

Śrī Bhakti Dayita Mādhava