January 23, 1987

How are you? I wrote to you from London. I hope you received my letter. England was very successful. I made a number of interesting discoveries about Bhaktivinoda at the India Office Library and at the School of Oriental and African Studies. I have discovered six new texts under the name of Kedarnath Dutt. Love stories and history! Are these by our Bhaktivinode?

Gaur Keshava and I have been here in Vrindavan for two days now. What a peaceful place! It’s so good for the mind here. We have a room in the Goshalla (where the cows stay). It’s peaceful to be with the cows. I hope things are okay in New Vrindavan.

Tomorrow (Mon 26th) we will take a bus to Radhakunda. On this trip I am seeing Vrindavan in a new way. I am not living at the Temple, but at the Goshalla 1/2 mile away. I feel more a part of Vrindavan proper. The Krishna Balaram Mandir is very much a part of the West. When you are there you leave India in a certain way and return to the West, but here in the Goshalla I am feeling part of India and village life. I love it. This trip I am feeling more in tune with India. I am not as much afraid of the strangeness and I am understanding things much better. Gaura Keshava is amazing. In India he shines. He is as much an Indian as the Indians. He fits right in. He is a tremendous resource for me. My discertation will have a lot more depth because of the field work we are doing. Without him I would never be able to do this kind of field work. Each day we are entering more into the greater realm of the Gaudiya Sampradaya. We are reaching out to the world of the babajis.

We wnt to see Narayana Maharaj in Mathura last night. I asked a number of questions regarding Raganuga Bhakti. Such a sainly person. Today the weather is cooler, a little breeze and sunny, maybe 75 degrees. I will leave Vrindavan on the 27th for Delhi, 2 days in Delhi, then on to Calcutta. We have many people to see in Bengal. I hope you are faring well in NV. Miss you a whole lot. If your parents call, say hello to them. That’s all for now. Hare Krishna