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By Anuttama Dasa<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da,<\/p>\n nama o\u1e41 vi\u1e63\u1e47u-p\u0101d\u0101ya k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-pre\u1e63\u1e6dh\u0101ya bh\u016b-tale \u015br\u012bmate bhaktived\u0101nta-sv\u0101minn iti n\u0101mine It is said the test of a man\u2019s greatness is to measure the long-term impact of his life and teachings\u2014to see if his legacy continues to inspire and guide others after his passing from the world.<\/p>\n It has been more than forty years since you physically left this world, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, and fifty-plus years since you established ISKCON. But as time passes, your memory is not fading. Instead, time itself is revealing your place in history. Your impact has been momentous, and it continues to grow year by year.<\/p>\n In addition to establishing the ISKCON movement, writing your books, opening temples and rural communities, and traveling around the globe to teach and preach, you inspired a core of dedicated followers. Today those followers, and your own v\u0101\u1e47\u012b, are inspiring others, and the Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a movement is having an impact on the global stage.<\/p>\n As my offering to you this year, I highlight a few of the many astounding things that continue to evolve because of your desire and vision. Specifically, how your legacy is expanding through the work of your dedicated followers. We can measure your greatness, in part, by the achievements of those who follow you.<\/p>\n Below are a few examples of the millions of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas who are carrying the Seven Purposes of your ISKCON Mission forward, proving that the life, teachings, and legacy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhup\u0101da continue to bring positive changes in the world.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Inspired and guided by you, \u015aaunaka \u1e5a\u1e63i D\u0101sa established the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) twenty years ago in Oxford, England, one of the modern bastions of learning. \u015aaunaka \u1e5a\u1e63i and his supporters have created an acclaimed academic center. OCHS has produced dozens of highly educated men and women, doctorates and professors, who teach in universities, publish scholarly books, and conduct in-depth research into the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava tradition and other Vedic traditions. Inspired by your vision, OCHS is robustly \u201cpropagating spiritual knowledge to society at large\u201d at the highest intellectual levels.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Through 6,000 annual festivals, 3,600 weekly home study groups, and Sunday Feasts and other programs at 650 ISKCON temples worldwide, your followers are systematically propagating \u201ca consciousness of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u201d on a global scale. In India alone, 1.2 million schoolchildren are fed healthy, sanctified vegetarian pras\u0101dam lunches six days a week through ISKCON Food Relief programs, thus ensuring those children a healthier life, a better education, and a lifelong appreciation for the kindness of ISKCON and its founder- \u0101c\u0101rya. These are just a few examples of how your desire to spread awareness of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s glories continues to inspire K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a conscious activism throughout the world.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Many devotees have been inspired by this aspect of your mission. One example is the Grihastha Vision Team, led by your disciple K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47anandin\u012b D\u0101s\u012b and her husband Tariq. The dedicated couples of the GVT strengthen devotee families by teaching seminars, training mentors, counseling couples, and sharing wisdom via their book, Heart and Soul Connection. By promoting understanding, honesty, respect, and loving relationships among family members, these disciples and granddisciples of yours have brought thousands of devotees closer \u201ctogether with each other and nearer to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the prime entity.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, there is a k\u012brtana revolution exploding among the younger generations of your followers. Many thousands of these young men and women have developed a deep love for chanting K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s names. They organize 24-hour k\u012brtanas. They stay up late at temples and congregate at homes to chant together. They record music. They perform at yoga studios and at colleges and parks. They love the Lord\u2019s names, and they love you for giving them the gift of the Holy Name. And, that love is reverberating around the world as millions more, influenced by your pure desire and the enthusiasm of these young Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, are awakening their attraction to k\u012brtana.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Your beloved disciple Ambar\u012b\u1e63a D\u0101sa (Alfred Ford) and his staff of professional devotees are erecting a stunning Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in M\u0101y\u0101pur. Year by year, brick by brick, the entire ISKCON society is contributing to build this beautiful and holy place. This year, as the golden cakras were raised above our heads and onto the temple domes, it was clear from the smiles and laughter of thousands of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas present that, as you envisioned, a world-class holy place \u201cof transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the Personality of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u201d is rising on the banks of the sacred Ganges.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n While the world cries out for an end to environmental degradation, but struggles to rein in the greed and lust that cause it, your granddisciple Gaur\u0101\u1e45ga D\u0101sa and a troupe of dedicated supporters are showing the world how to live simply at the Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) in Maharashtra. The United Nations World Tourism Organization gave the community an award for Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations for its sustainable practices. Inspired by your teachings, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, the GEV empowers local farmers, draws appreciation from famed environmentalists, and is having a global impact in teaching a \u201csimpler, more natural way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Under the leadership of Vai\u015be\u1e63ika D\u0101sa, Vijaya D\u0101sa, and many others, your book distribution is gaining ever-new life. In our earliest days book distribution was successful but also costly; our enthusiasm was sometimes overzealous and damaged the reputation of ISKCON.<\/p>\n Today, however, devotees are taught the importance of book distribution balanced with the priority of making friends. The prime objective: \u201cTo leave everyone with a good impression.\u201d The result? In North America alone over the last five years book distribution has tripled. And in 2016 and 2017, the North American BBT sold a total of more than $4 million worth of books. Internationally, in addition to selling millions of your books, new languages are added almost every year. Under your continued guidance, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, \u201cperiodicals, magazines, books and other writings\u201d are being published and distributed as never before.<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, as scholar and historian Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins stated during the 50th<\/sup> <\/sup>Anniversary of ISKCON event at Harvard University\u2019s Center for the Study of World Religions, you were a \u201cone man channel for an entire culture and religious tradition.\u201d He added that there \u201cis no clear parallel\u201d to your achievements in the history of world religions. And he said, \u201cISKCON has done at least as well as Christianity and Islam in its first fifty years.\u201d<\/p>\n Forty years after your departure, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, your followers are increasingly inspired by your example, your mission, and your love for Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Historians and scholars of religion, too, are noting more and more of your achievements.<\/p>\n While most people are forgotten within forty years of their passing, your name, your legacy, your mission, and your love are only beginning to bear fruit. You, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, are a great man, a noble man, a world-changing man, and a transcendental man. You are our life. Our soul. Our guide. Our guru. Our founder-\u0101c\u0101rya. We pledge our lives to helping the world understand you; and through you, themselves and the eternally youthful, unlimitedly beautiful Lord \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/p>\n Your disciple and eternal servant,<\/p>\n Anuttama D\u0101sa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is said the test of a man\u2019s greatness is to measure the long-term impact of his life and teachings\u2014to see if his legacy continues to inspire and guide others after his passing from the world. Here are a few examples of the millions of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas who are carrying the Seven Purposes of your ISKCON Mission forward, proving that the life, teachings, and legacy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhup\u0101da continue to bring positive changes in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65427"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65442,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65427\/revisions\/65442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nnamas te s\u0101rasvate deve gaura-v\u0101\u1e47\u012b-prac\u0101ri\u1e47e nirvi\u015be\u1e63a-\u015b\u016bnyav\u0101di-p\u0101\u015bc\u0101tya-de\u015ba-t\u0101ri\u1e47e<\/p>\n ISKCON\u2019s First Purpose: To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.<\/h4>\n
Purpose #2: To propagate a consciousness of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 and \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam.<\/h4>\n
Purpose #3: To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, the prime entity, and thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a).<\/h4>\n
Purpose #4: To teach and encourage the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu.<\/h4>\n
Purpose #5: To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the Personality of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a.<\/h4>\n
Purpose #6: To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.<\/h4>\n
Purpose #7: With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books, and other writings.<\/h4>\n
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By Anuttama Dasa<\/strong><\/p>\n