Guru in ISKCON

Published on April 22nd, 2022 | by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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The Future of ISKCON is in Prabhupada’s Disciple’s Hands


So we have got this message from Krsna, from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, from the six Gosvamis, later on, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura. And we are trying our bit also to distribute this knowledge. Now, tenth, eleventh, twelfth… My Guru Maharaja is tenth from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I am eleventh, you are the twelfth. So distribute this knowledge…

Prabhupada: (airport noises) (leads Prema-dhvani; says “Los Angeles bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!”) So my dear boys and girls, about six years ago I came to your country single-handed, with this pair of cymbals.

Now you are so many chanting Hare Krsna. That is my success. It was the prediction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara hoibe mora nama

Lord Caitanya desired that “In all the towns, in as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the globe, My name will be broadcast.” He is Krsna Himself, svayam krsna, krsna caitanya-namine, simply changing His name as Krsna Caitanya. So His prediction will never go in vain. That’s a fact. So my plan was that “I shall go to America. America is the leading country of the world. If I can convince (the) younger generation of America, they will take up.” I am old man. I came here at the age of seventy years; now I am seventy-six. So my warning is already there. In nineteen hundred and seventy-one, I had a severe heart attack. You know, all. So the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is now in your hands. You are American boys and girls, very intelligent and graced by Krsna. You are not poverty-stricken. You have enough resources, prestige. Everything materially, you are all well-equipped. If you kindly take this Krsna consciousness movement seriously, your country will be saved, and the whole world will be saved.

The modern… The present human civilization is not in right order.

I was coming here, and I was seeing one film, cinema, “The Boyfriend.” Of course, young boy, young girl, making friendship, enjoying life–that is not condemned. Actually, that is life. Radha and Krsna is young boy and young girl.

radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad
ekatmanav api (bhuvi pura) deha-bhedam gatau tau
caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam
radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam

This young boy and young girl trying to unite for happiness is the natural inclination of the living entity. It is there in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Vedanta-sutra it is said, janmady asya yatah. Everything that we see in this material world is there in the spiritual world. Janmady asya yatah. Wherefrom everything is coming? The original source, the original source of this love, is there in the Absolute. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtih. It is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the thing as it is originally is perfect, but here, the same thing is only perverted reflection. Here, the boys and the girls meeting, because it is simply a reflection… Just like a reflection of the tree on the river, it is just topsy-turvied, similarly, that reflection, reality, Radha-Krsna love, is topsy-turvied here.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is very scientific, factual, authorized. Simply intelligent persons can understand it. Every human being has got intelligence, better than the animals. If you simply try to understand what is this Krsna consciousness movement, this human life will be perfect. Here, we are trying to enjoy, but we do not know that next life, next chapter, may stop everything–at any moment. Don’t think because you are American, you have got material opulences, very comfortable life, cars, roads, buildings… That’s all right. But any moment, you will be kicked out, and it may be that you’ll have to accept another body which is not at all American. It may be the body of a tree or a cat or a dog. That science we must know. Don’t be enamored by the flickering happiness. This happiness is there which is factual: this Radha-Krsna. You see Radha-Krsna, Krsna, how He’s jolly, with His cows, with His flute, with His comrades, with His boyfriend, girlfriend, how He’s happy.

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Here, you are trying to enjoy the company of young girls, but Krsna is also doing that in the spiritual world. Sahasra-sata-sambhrama, laksmi. Each girl there is a goddess of fortune. Not only one, but many hundreds and thousands. They’re with great respect and reverence trying to serve Krsna. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam. So you can also enter in the company of Krsna, as Krsna’s friend, as Krsna’s servant, as Krsna’s consort, as Krsna’s father, anything. Everything… Here also, there are five relationship: relationship between master and servant, relationship between friend and friend, relationship between father and son, and relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend. All these relationships are emanating from Krsna. Akhila-rasamrta-sindhu: the ocean of all pleasure. And Krsna comes Himself to give you this message. Krsna appeared five thousand years ago on this planet, and at Vrndavana He exhibited His real pastimes in the spiritual world, so just to give practical demonstration and to invite you there. Krsna (is) canvassing: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja.

So we have got this message from Krsna, from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, from the six Gosvamis, later on, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura. And we are trying our bit also to distribute this knowledge. Now, tenth, eleventh, twelfth… My Guru Maharaja is tenth from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I am eleventh, you are the twelfth. So distribute this knowledge. People are suffering. They are simply fighting on some false thing, maya. They should be given the real fact of happiness. We have spoiled our life, many lives, coming through the evolutionary process of 8,400,000 species of life. Here is an opportunity, human form of life, and here is the message of Lord Caitanya, Krsna. Human form of life can understand, and especially in America you can understand. You have got better intelligence, better facility. We are not sentimental, simply chanting and dancing. We have got more than two thousand volumes of books. If you want to learn it through science, philosophy, it is also there. Otherwise, the simple method–simply chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare, and you’ll realize the whole thing. The child can take part, the philosopher can take part, the scientist can take part, the politician can take part, the religionist can take part, the public can take part. It is so universal. And it is open; there is no secrecy. It is not that “I shall give you some secret mantra, and give me some money, I go away.” It is open.

So I especially appeal to the Americans, whose boys and girls are helping me so much, please take this philosophy, try to understand this philosophy. Make your life successful–your country and the whole world. You are helping other parts of the world who are not very much developed with money, resources. That is a very good idea. But in your country you do not see how the younger generation are going astray, how they’re baffled and confused. You should take care of this. The flower of your country, they are becoming hopeless, confused. Try to save them. And this is the only remedy, Krsna consciousness, that can save your country and the whole world.

Thank you very much. (end)

(720518AR.LA Arrival Lecture Los Angeles, May 18, 1972)

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About the Author

Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.



2 Responses to The Future of ISKCON is in Prabhupada’s Disciple’s Hands

  1. Hasti Gopala dasa says:

    Excellent!

    So, where are the disciples out on Hari Nam daily in Canadian and US towns, villages and cities? June 10th 2023.
    Nowhere to be found. All that exists right now are online store fronts that are only a wealth of book knowledge presented in such a way as to pacify Hare Krsna’s into thinking that the movement is still going on. So, they spend money. Nam Hatta is fine but not near enough. These sites have been infiltrated to subdue and pacify the original movement. When all of the original followers are dead and gone those sites will close down.

    • Hare Krishna Prabhu

      Yes. The problem is with the old devotees like ourselves. We just sit on keyboards and type and think we are doing something to push on Prabhupada’s movements.

      Actually I don’t believe this internet is at all suitable for spreading Krishna consciousness. Which is why personally I concentrate on printing and distributing Srila Prabhupada’s real printed paper original books.

      That is actually the only thing that is worthwhile. Distributing Prabhupada’s original books to the general public.

      It is dead, ISKCON, preaching, Krishna consciousness, because we, the disciples of Prabhupada, are not preaching it.

      It only takes one pure devotee to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. And most of the “devotees” will never do anything. We see that from the Gaudiya Math. Thousands of disciples of Srila Bhaktsiddhanta, dozens of big sannyasis, but only one insignificant householder, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he took Srila Bhaktsiddhanta’s orders as his life and soul. And it seemed impossible. But Prabhupada attempted the impossible, on the order of his spiritual master, and was magnificently successful.

      So Prabhu you could also do that, I could also do that, any one of Prabhupada’s disciples could preach. But none of us are doing it? That is the problem.

      So don’t pass the blame onto others. Do something yourself.

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