By Kartik Khandwala
On Sunday 22 November 2009, the fortieth anniversary of installation of Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara, BBC Radio 4 who have an estimated audience of over one million listeners in the United Kingdom and the British Isles aired the news of “40 years of the Hare Krishna movement in the UK”.
The piece included interviews with Jai Nitai Prabhu (current Temple President), Shyamasundara Prabhu (Founder), Mother Yamuna (Founder), Gurudasa Prabhu (Founder) and Antardwip Prabhu (Leicester Congregation Member) + Live singing of “Hare Krishna Maha Mantra” + partial “Govindam adi purusam” by Mother Yamuna + partial “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison.
Until this Saturday 28 November 2009, you can download the podcast from BBC’s official website:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/sunday/sunday_20091122-0817a.mp3
The 40 years news is sandwiched between various other news pieces. The relevant news is from 9:00 minute mark to 16:24 minute mark. That is a good 7:24 mins of air time on Britain’s most popular radio station! And millions had the opportunity of listen to the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
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Your servant,
Kartik [kartik@pamho.net]
[40th Anniversary Organising Committee]
My dear Kartik Kandwala,
Please accept my greetings. As you have pointed out, the celebration of the Fortieth Aniversary of the Supreme Lords of London, Shri Shri Radha-Londonsihwara, is a remarkable event, and I hope that you will enjoy my input also here on Dandavats.
I am writing to you with a gentle correction of your comments. The success of the ISKCON in London is due to the fact that the “six married sannyasi” disciples never considered themselves as “Founders” of the temple as you have written above. Rather, their success right up till today and into the future has been based on each one of them considering themselves merely an insignificant, atomic servant at the lotus feet of the Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the illustrious and pure devotee under whose guidance they worked the London miracle.
ISKCON centers are not run like ordinary church organizations with interested parties sitting on boards and deciding novel policies. Our basis has been built for us by the great chain of disciplic succession. The London Six encountered such huge success because they managed to each one become mere instruments in the loving service of their Guru Maharaja. In other words, they were empowered to serve in that capacity, but they are always quick to point out that the success has come from Shri Krishna’s personal representative operating through them. Otherwise how could they accomplish what great yogis, swami and politically-motivated religious organizations could not do? This is the great chain of parampara or disciplic succession. which they represented so well.
Indeed, Shrila Prabhhupada often mentioned that his success is due to his simple ability to present the philosophy of his own Guru Maharaja Shrila Shri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur without change, adulteration or personal ambition. Therefore, because the London Six have each followed the example of their Guru Maharaja, the unlimited potency of Shri Krishna has manifest from within each one. This is the great open secret of the Hare Krishna Movement, and to clear away any confusion, you may read more about our Shri Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya line in Shrila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Even Shri Krishna Himself emphasized this system (4th chapter) to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra.
I hope that this meets you well,
Yours in Shrila Prabhupada’s service.
Patita Pavana das Adhikary
Hare Krishna. Excellent comment by Patita Pavan.
This is correct vision of success. Always seeing oneself as an instrument on the basis of always devoutly desiring oneself as a surrendered disciple at the lotus feet of one’s spiritual master, representative of the complete parampara line going back to Lord Sri Krishna. This is real education. This is real humility. There is welcome power upon acting in this spirit. Always giving credit to one’s spiritual master for all and any success 24/7, looking forward to acknowledging/recognizing his mercy at every step.
In our International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we cherish out of love giving all credit to the Founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. We are eternally indebted at his lotus feet for his propagating Krishna Consciousness all over the world like he did. And he also, would give all credit to his spiritual master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati.
Srila Prabhupada and all the assembled devotees engaged in his divine service, ki jaya!