om ajnana- timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmìlitam yena tasmai srì-gurave namah
nama om visnu-pĂ dĂ ya Krsna-presthĂ ya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedĂ nta-svĂ min iti namine
namas te sĂ rasvate deve gaura-vĂ ni-pracĂ rine
nirvisesa-sĂąnyavĂ di-pĂ scatya-desa-tĂ rine
On this most blessed event, kindly allow me to express the following few words before the assembled Vaisnavas. Our most beloved master and spiritual father, His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Parivrà jakà carya Sri Srìmad A. C. Bhaktivedà nta Swami Prabhupà da Maharaja has brought all of us together. Our bond is our love for him. Srila Prabhupà da transformed all of us totally, inside and outside. His only desire was to make everyone a pure devotee of Lord Krsna. He wanted to demonstrate an ideal example of a noble and civilized human society so that everyone could take up nivrtti-marga, the path of renunciation. He sacrificed everything and gave us sanatana-dharma. He gave us the priceless gift, vairagya-vidya, the science of renunciation from material attachment. He gave us the matchless gift golokera prema-dhana, the treasure wealth of prema from Goloka dhà ma in the form of ISKCON. He explained to each of us that modern men are rushing to the darkest corner of hellish existence and that the mission of ISKCON is to save all of them unconditionally. He gave that responsibility to all of us collectively a great responsibility indeed!
The Vedic verdict is mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Traverse the trail which your previous acarya has passed. It is a great opportunity and a great day for all of us to focus on this point very carefully. Srila PrabhupĂ da was very much concerned for our well being, for our cooperation among each other and for the proper maintenance and management of ISKCON- right up until the moment of his departure. He has left many specific instructions with clear directions to facilitate the preaching in all frontiers. For example, his instruction on management is given in the purport of Srimad-BhĂ gavatam (7.13.34) as “A sannyasi should have an institution meant to preach Krsna consciousness; he need not accumulate money for himself. We recommend that as soon as money is accumulated in our Krsna consciousness movement, fifty percent of it should be invested in printing books, and fifty percent for expenditures especially in establishing centres all over the world. The managers of the Krsna Consciousness movement should be extremely cautious in regard to this point. Otherwise money will be the cause of lamentation, illusion, fear, material attachment, material poverty, and unnecessary hard work. When I was alone in Vrndavana, I never attempted to construct mathas or temples; rather I was fully satisfied with the small amount of money I could gather by selling Back to Godhead, and thus I would provide for myself and also print the literature. When I went to foreign countries, I lived according to the same principle, but when Europeans and Americans began to give money profusely, I started temple and Deity worship. The same principle should still be followed. Whatever money is collected should be spent for Krsna and not a farthing for sense gratification. This is the BhĂ gavata principle.”
Today is the day when we can all contemplate on how to increase our collective effort to push on the sankirtana movement. Today is the day when we should focus our attention on how to improve the quality of our movement in all aspects, following the footsteps of the previous Ă cĂ ryas. Today is the day for contemplating on what Srlla Prabhupada has done for each one of us and for comparing our life today to what it was like before we met Srila Prabhupada. Today is the day when we can contemplate how to assist our elder Godbrothers and how to accommodate the feelings of the younger. This will bring the proper mood and understanding. Today is also the day when we re-emphasize the fact that the concepts of “my zone”, “my men”, “my project” and so on, do not supersede the collective sankirtana spirit. Such concepts are simply functional as they are like the different organs of a large body. If each organ wants to “do his own thing” thè whole body suffers. We should realize that a single organ does not represent the whole body.
Everyone says, “I am following what Srila Prabhupada instructed me to do”. Maybe everyone is doing that. But ours is a sankirtana movement, meaning we have to glorify together. Thus, a single individual does not represent ISKCON. All together we represent ISKCON, and ISKCON is Prabhupada. So, now is the time to fìnd ways to solidify the sankirtana force. Let us follow the principle that Srila Prabhupada established so that we can be stronger in our unity. Any other separate interest will simply add pain to Srila PrabhupĂ da’s body, ISKCON. In spite of great difficulties Srila Prabhupada was constantly trying to bring unity among his Godbrothers. The living example of this was his formation just before his departure to Goloka-dhama of the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust. This trust includes five of his disciples and two of his Godbrothers and is meant to refurbish the gaura-mandala-bhĂąmi. Prabhupada told us that we would make him greatly happy by doing this.
The glories of the master are judged by the qualities of his disciples. Let the whole world know that we are the worthy disciples and grand-disciples of Srlla Prabhupada. It is our duty to make an all-out effort to make Srila Prabhupada the most famous personality on earth. Our glory should depend on how much we labour and on how much we sacrifìce to make PrabhupĂ da’s mission, ISKCON most famous and honoured. Let this be our common foundation of unity. There is no need to blame anyone for whatever mistakes we may have committed in the past. Whatever has happened must all be due to the inconceivable mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is to remind us how great Srìla Prabhupada was. This is to remind us how great Krsna’s pure devotee is. This is to remind us how insignificant and helpless we are in the absence of the master. We have all become orphans. When the father departs untimely, it is quite natural to expect some symptoms of difficulty in the middle of unbearable agony of separation from our divine master. But we have a great task to fulfill. We have to bring this bhĂ gavata-dharma to every door all over the world. We have to make sure that Srila PrabhupĂ da’s name is known and glorified in every home on the planet for thousands and thousands of generations to come. We have to show that ISKCON is golokera prema-dhana to the whole world. We have to show to the whole world that ISKCON is cintĂ mani touchstone. We have to show that we are Vaisnavas. We have to show that a Vaisnavas is he who knows the absolute values of life, meaning, the individual jiva is an eternal servant of Krsna, jivera svarĂąpa haya Krsnera nitya dĂ sa. We have nothing to do with the temporary designations. Our identity is not G.B.C., sannyĂ si, grhastha, and so on. We are eternal servants of the servants of the Supreme Lord. Lord Sri Caitanya MahĂ prabhu gave this instruction very clearly and Srila PrabhupĂ da taught us the same principle. Our business is just to follow these principles mahajana yena gatah sa panthah.
We have to smash the material philosophy of life widely propagated by the foolish materialists. We have to establish the absolute fact that life is sac-cid-ananda, which can be understood only by following the process: trnĂ d api sunìcena taroriva sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniya sadĂ harih. Let everyone know the unparalleled qualities of the Vaisnavas through the devotees of ISKCON. Let these qualities bloom with full fragrance in every corner of the globe. Let the whole world feel that ISKCON is greatly needed. Let everyone be attracted to the sweet aroma coming from the transcendental garden of ISKCON. Let the whole world know that Srila PrabhupĂ da is the most expert gardener who planted, nurtured, and cared for all these tiny, tiny flower plants in the form of his disciples to offer at the feet of his divine Guru Maharaja, our divine grandfather Srila BhaktisiddhĂ nta PrabhupĂ da, at the lotus feet of Lord Sri Caitanya MahĂ prabhu, and at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Sri Krsna. Let everyone know that the mission of human life is to be a devotee of Krsna through ISKCON. Let every parent be proud of his child being in ISKCON. Let millions sing and dance to the tune of golokera prema-dhana hari-nama sankirtana, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Let everyone listen to the song of Narottama dasa ThĂ kura: manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya janiya suniya bisa khainu, “In the human form of life if one does not serve and glorify Sri Sri RadhĂ and Krsna, one is knowingly drinking poison.” We have to broadcast at the top of our voice that everyone must get out of mayĂ , subtle or gross. We have this cintamani gift. Let us give it freely to everyone. This is what NĂ rada Muni did. This is what Caitanya MahĂ prabhu demonstrated. This is what Srila PrabhupĂ da taught us. We have to follow, mahajano yena gatah sa panthah.
ISKCON is most unique in the history of man’s civilization, especially in Kali-yuga. The platform of unity and harmony, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, name, fame, prestige, position, nationality, and so on, is only possible in ISKCON. Let everyone see that ISKCON has the mystical potency to bring everyone together. The world should know that ours is based on sanatana-dharma. Ours is based on bhagavata-dharma. Ours is based on vairĂ gya-vidyĂ . Ours is based on bhakti-yoga. Ours is based on Absolute Truth, the truth that remains true beyond time and space, beyond all boundaries. Ours is based on paramparĂ . It is the topmost transcendental platform. Let the United Nations’ complete nonsense ideology be totally dissolved in the transparent absolute solution of ISKCON. Let all the members of the U. N. join happily the platform established by ISKCON. Let the whole world be transformed into Vaikuntha. Only ISKCON can do this, and Srila PrabhupĂ da ordered us to do it. So we have a great responsibility to carry out.
The position of our beloved divine master, Srila PrabhupĂ da, is unparallel in the history of spiritual revolution. He transformed the whole world in a decade’s time. PrabhupĂ da transformed the heart of everyone who had the chance to see him. He gave the most wonderful gift to every educational institution of the world in the form of his literature. He was the most expert chemist, who picked the rejected pebbles and transformed them into the most valuable gems. He was a champion in every aspect of transcendental activities. It was Srìla RĂąpa Gosvami who expressed about Lord Caitanya MahĂ prabhu saying, namo mahĂ -vadanyĂ ya krsna prema pradĂ yate krsnaya krsna caitanya nĂ mne gauratvise namah “Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya is more magnanimous than any other avatara, even Krsna Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given- pure love of Krsna”. I can very humbly express that Srìla PrabhupĂ da is even more magnanimous than Lord Caitanya because he was the one who picked up even the most rotten souls, like myself, and gave us freely golokera prema-dhana, which no one could do before. He gave us Krsna consciousness, the most confidential knowledge. It was he who crossed the oceans and mountains sacrificing all personal comforts in such an advanced age to distribute freely this golokera prema-dhana to everyone all over the globe. He was compassion personified. It was he who followed in the footsteps of NĂ rada Munì; it was he who followed in the footprints of PrahlĂ da Maharaja, it was he who fulfilled the predictions of Lord Caitanya MahĂ prabhu; it was he who followed in the footsteps of Srìla Rupa, SanĂ tana, RaghunĂ tha dĂ sa, RaghunĂ tha Bhatta, Jiva, and Gopala Bhatta GosvĂ mis; it was he who fulfilled the desires of Bhaktivinoda ThĂ kura; it was he who carried out the orders of his Guru Maharaja, Srila BhaktisiddhĂ nta PrabhupĂ da, without the slightest tinge of personal motivation. His unlimited glories cannot be described properly by any form of expression. Srìla PrabhupĂ da is mahĂ -mahĂ -bhĂ gavata. Srìla PrabhupĂ da is mahĂ -paramahamsa. Had Srìla PrabhupĂ da not appeared among us there would bave been no chance for this most lowly self to even dream of expressing these few words.
Prabhupà da had so much love for all of us. He was greatly concerned for our advancement in Krsna consciousness. We knew bis mood well. We are all his dear children. So I have a right to claim that we are all brothers and sisters because this is what I have learned from Srìla Prabhupà da. So brothers and sisters, on this most auspicious day of the divine appearance of our most beloved Gurudeva, let us try to forget whatever mistakes we may have made in the past. Let us all come together, let us all fall at the lotus feet of our divine father, let us not try to find fault with each other, let us try to help each other. Let us try whatever means we have to please Srìla Prabhupà da to the utmost. So, let us print a lot of books, distribute a lot of books, establish a lot of centres all over the world, and let us flood the whole
Prabhupada, you also pointed out very strongly that the Bhaktivedanta Institute preaching party in all universities and other institutions throughout the world is for making scientific presentation of Krsna consciousness. This party is to establish Krsna consciousness as the genuine scientific movement of the world, exposing the so-called scientists as nothing but speculators. “This party is our most important preaching arm with which we will be able to destroy the bogus speculation and cheating which goes under the banner of scientific advancement”… “So I am looking forward to when you shall actually begin these activities”… “If you can convince one man, that will be sufficient to save millions.” Srila PrabhupĂ da, your mercy is boundless. Without your divine association this world is completely meaningless. Your mercy is all that I am made of.
On this most auspicious day of your divine appearance, I would like to submit under your divine lotus feet that we are making a humble beginning to execute your divine order from this very day. You have already sent so many nice and intelligent devotees for this program. All of them are extremely enthusiastic. I would also like to invite anyone who would like to participate in this most important preaching program. Let us make sure that all the students and scholars all over the world sing Srila PrabhupĂ da’s glories. Let us all make sure that the mundane and transient scientific knowledge is replaced by the eternal principles of bhĂ gavata science. We are one hundred percent sure that this will be most pleasing to Your Divine Grace, Srila PrabhupĂ da.
Your most insignificant servant,
BhaktisvarĂąpa DĂ modara Swami