CONTENTS:
- Simply become a humble servant of Srila Prabhupada;
- Srila Prabhupada's Appreciation; and
- Guru Maharaja’s Instructions.
1. SIMPLY BECOME A HUMBLE SERVANT OF SRILA PRABHUPADA
This Krishna Consciousness movement is going to change this world in a very remarkable way. We have already seen how the world is changing because of the effect of this transcendental movement. Srila Prabhupada didn’t go to America to just start a spiritual movement, Srila Prabhupada actually went to America to plant the seed of establishing the golden age in the middle of the age of Kali. In course of time, we will see that. We have full faith in Mahaprabhu’s prediction that this Krishna Consciousness movement will spread in every town and village all over the world. Mahaprabhu very clearly predicted, pritivite ache yata nagaradi gram, sarvatra prachar haibe mora nama (Chaitanya Bhagavat, antya 4, text 126). This Krishna Consciousness movement will spread as this is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction. Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His words will never go in vain. Whatever Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said is bound to happen that means literally in every town and village this movement will spread in order to fulfil this prediction. Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent Srila Prabhupada, actually He not only sent Srila Prabhupada. Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura who actually started this very special mission, then came Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and he furthered that movement. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave the blueprint of this movement and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gave it a shape and Srila Prabhupada took this movement out of the precincts of India’s subcontinent to the outside world and spread it.
What Srila Prabhupada had done in just ten years’ time is the most wonderful miracle. Srila Prabhupada himself used to say that people want to see miracles and are so impressed to see somebody produce some ash or some cash but let them go and make them into devotees of Krishna! Srila Prabhupada used to say that this is a precious miracle. People who di not know about Krishna Consciousness, they have sacrificed everything for the sake of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So, this is the greatest miracle and it was just the beginning. What Srila Prabhupada gave within ten years’ time is the greatest miracle but this mission Prabhupada knew in ten years’ time, this mission would not be accomplished. The mission to continue and in order to continue the mission and progress and further this mission, Srila Prabhupada saw the need to establish an institution. It is only through this institution that such a mission can continue to be established. Amazing spiritual personalities like Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada are very rare personalities that come once in a blue moon but coming here they create some amazing effect but when they are gone what will happen? We have seen some great personalities come and during their lifetime they achieve something very wonderful but when they leave the planet whatever they have done gradually disappears. Srila Prabhupada saw the need of continuing and expanding it. Prabhupada took it to every continent and country but not to every town and village, that’s the mission and the goal.
Therefore, in order to do that Prabhupada put so much effort that even after his disappearance the mission would continue and further. Srila Prabhupada created the institution ISKCON. We have to recognize the importance of this institution and we have to protect it in order to continue this mission. Unfortunately, in the past, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura an amazing and wonderful spiritual personality with amazing abilities with an inconceivable scholarship, intellect and charisma. He did an amazing thing, took Krishna Consciousness and spread it all over India. He also saw the need of establishing an institution for furthering the mission but soon after his disappearance the institution collapsed. He gave a very clear indication in order to maintain the institution you collectively manage this and it is a secret to success. Collective management and in order to make it happen we have to have the leadership properly established but they did not do that. What they should have done was establish the leadership of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and continue to maintain the institution through that concept of collective management. Srila Prabhupada told us that the mistake that they had made we should not make the same mistake. We should maintain the institution, give maximum emphasis to the institution and in order to do that collectively manage it and further the mission. What unspoken truth behind that, in order to do that we have to establish a leadership of the Founder Acharya Srila Prabhupada. If we want to become big leaders then the institution will become fragmented. If we establish Srila Prabhupada as the leader we all function as his humble servants then the institution remains intact and in ISKCON it has happened by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy. ISKCON after thirty-five years after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance, ISKCON is still intact and is expanding. This Krishna Consciousness movement is spreading all over the world.
What is the secret? The secret behind that is collective management and Srila Prabhupada’s unique position as the leader of ISKCON, The Founder Acharya. That is why I personally feel the more we glorify Srila Prabhupada the stronger the institution will become that is why there is a need to establish Srila Prabhupada’s greatness. After all who are we? Simply humble servants and its so wonderful to become Srila Prabhupada’s humble servant. By becoming his humble servant, we are actually getting the recognition all over the world. We don’t have to become somebody very special, unique charismatic or flamboyant. We simply have to become Srila Prabhupada’s humble servant and the rest will automatically happen. If ISKCON’s glory is spread all over the world and if ISKCON is established all over the world then naturally we become glorified. If ISKCON’s glory is spread all over the world and if ISKCON is established all over the world then even as a sweeper we become glorified. But if ISKCON falls apart and we become the Acharyas then what is the use of that? Rather let us become a humble servant of the wonderful, spiritual institution that ISKCON is.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
What Srila Prabhupada had done in just ten years’ time is the most wonderful miracle. Srila Prabhupada himself used to say that people want to see miracles and are so impressed to see somebody produce some ash or some cash but let them go and make them into devotees of Krishna! Srila Prabhupada used to say that this is a precious miracle. People who di not know about Krishna Consciousness, they have sacrificed everything for the sake of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So, this is the greatest miracle and it was just the beginning. What Srila Prabhupada gave within ten years’ time is the greatest miracle but this mission Prabhupada knew in ten years’ time, this mission would not be accomplished. The mission to continue and in order to continue the mission and progress and further this mission, Srila Prabhupada saw the need to establish an institution. It is only through this institution that such a mission can continue to be established.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
What is the secret? The secret behind that is collective management and Srila Prabhupada’s unique position as the leader of ISKCON, The Founder Acharya. That is why I personally feel the more we glorify Srila Prabhupada the stronger the institution will become that is why there is a need to establish Srila Prabhupada’s greatness. After all who are we? Simply humble servants and it’s so wonderful to become Srila Prabhupada’s humble servant. By becoming his humble servant, we are actually getting the recognition all over the world. We don’t have to become somebody very special, unique charismatic or flamboyant. We simply have to become Srila Prabhupada’s humble servant and the rest will automatically happen.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on Srila Prabhupada Glorification by HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja on 17 September 2011 in Mayapur)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Dasi)