1968 September 4 : “It is not very difficult to open a center. You can remain in any apartment as husband and wife, and invite persons there to hear your chanting and topics, that is our center, and let it be gradually improved.”
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

Currently , ISKCON is in a holding pattern in the West, eking out an existence dependent on support from Hindus. There is nothing wrong with that; it is essential and serves a purpose. Still, it is a rear guard action. With scattered exceptions, preaching to Westerners is in decline and in many temples western brahmacaries no longer even exist.

Eastern Europe is often cited as a bright spot. I don’t doubt it is. Still, if they don’t learn from the mistakes made in America, they are simply in the part of the cycle the US was in 20 years ago, and many of the same problems will eventually rear their heads.

India seems to be thriving, and that is fine, but it wasn’t Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s mandate to his disciple to preach in India — it was to preach to Westerners. Much of the success in India is directly attributable to Westerners going back to India and openly embracing spiritual and religious aspects that are also common to Hinduism. What happens when that reverse flow dries up?

I think there is some reason for optimism for the future of ISKCON now, but I think it will not be a opulent Deity worship centric future. I think it will take the form of a Resurgence, going back to basics.

Resurgents will be decentralized, independent, light on assets, based in RVs or rental housing. No heavy overhead or labor demands for opulent Deity worship. They will make pilgrimages to existing temples, and encourage others to do so, but not try to emulate them.

Rent an apartment, get a few cases of books from the BBT, and set up a picture of the Pancatattva and they are operational. A set of kartals or a mrdunga and and it’s off to the park or campus for sankirtan and leaflets inviting interested parties back for an informal evening of chanting and sharing prasadam.

Who will your typical resurgent be? Not whom you might expect. When Srila Prabhupada came there was him, representing the oldest generation, then a huge gap to a bunch of newly minted adults. When he left, there was a vacuum.

Jung once said that some problems are never solved, you simply outgrow them. Instead of two generations of adults, the oldest and the productive stages, raising one generation of kids, ISKCON had only one, focused on production. Now, thirty years later, you are beginning to see the oldest generation, the elders, once again starting to be represented in ISKCON.

The leading edge are in their sixties, but most are in their 50s, still working but starting to get their homes paid off and their kids through college. When they reach retirement age, and start receiving some passive income in the form of Social Security, pensions, or equity conversion, they will start looking around and want something to do.

They will be able to afford to take up the preaching lifestyle. Some will become more active in the existing school temples, but I predict that many of them will use their independence to adopt the tactics of the Resurgency — rent, few cases of books, a picture of Panchatattva and a lot of face to face time.

Some may do it directly, some may subsidize some young devotees and give them logistical support and let them do the hands on.

The Resurgency looms.

Radharani’s Lotus Feet, ISKCON Bangalore

Sep 20, KUALA LUMPUR (THU) — A Radhastami day lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prahbupada, September 18, 1969, London.

Srila Prabhupada: (chants mangalacarana prayers) Today is birth, appearance day of Srimati Radharani, Radhastami. Fifteen days after Krsna’s birth, Radharani appeared. (pause) Radharani is Krsna’s pleasure potency. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktih. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got varieties of energies, as it is confirmed in the Vedic literature. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do personally. Na tasya karyam. He has nothing to do. Just like here in this material world we find some very big man, political head or business head; personally, he has nothing to do. Because he has got so many assistants, secretaries, that personally he hasn’t got to do anything. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with six opulences, why He will have to do something? No. He has got many assistants. Sarvatah pani-padas tat. In the Bhagavad-gita: “He has got everywhere His hands and legs. (more…)

Krsna and Balarama Fighting Demons

Lila pastimes with the transcendental demons.

“So here Krsna Caitanya and Nityananda, Their identification is Lord Krsna and Balarama. Now, in the Krsna incarnation, these two brothers were engaged as cowherd boys and friends of the gopis, sons of mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja. That is actual life in Vrndavana. Krsna and Balarama, They are village cowherds boy. That is the early age history of Krsna-Balarama. And Their another business, when They went to Mathura They killed Kamsa and the wrestlers, and then again, when They went to Dvaraka, They had to fight with so many demons. But Their childhood life, up to sixteenth year, They were in Vrndavana, happy life, simply love. That is paritranaya sadhunam.

Sadhus, devotees, they are always anxious to see Krsna, Balarama and Their associates. They are always very much aggrieved on account of separation. To give them rejuvenation of life, Krsna-Balarama play Their childhood days in Vrndavana. And out of Vrndavana, beginning from Mathura up to Dvaraka and other places, the business was vinasaya ca duskrtam: killing. So They have got two businesses, one for pacifying the devotees, and the other is to kill the demons. Of course, Krsna and Balarama, They are Absolute Truth. There is no difference between killing and loving. They… Absolute. Those who were killed, you know, they were also delivered from this material bondage.” (Srila Prabhupada Lecture on Caitanya-caritamrta, 03-26-75, Mayapur)

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Inis Ratha, Ireland, Radhastami Celebration

Sri Rupa prabhu requested I give Bhagavatam class this morning.  I really wanted to hear from him.  After all, that is why I came to Inis Ratha - for Vaishnava association.  Sri Rupa prabhu, however, got his way.  Dear friends and readers, please accept this imperfect summary of my presentation from this morning.

I introduced the class by describing Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s beautiful song Radha Madhava.  Srila Prabhupada told Mother Yamuna and his early disciples at the Akash Ganga building in Mumbai that this song is so powerful, it is just like a bolt of lightning in the dark.  It has the power to destroy the darkness within the heart.  Krsna surya-sama maya hy andhakara/ yahan krsna tahan nahi mayadhikara.  Krishna is like the sun.  Maya is like the darkness.  Where there is Krisha there can be no jurisdiction of Maya.  Where there is sunlight there can be no darkness. 

I briefly described how this prayer is just four lines and 18 words, yet it sums up the entire Spiritual World.  Krishna is Madhava, the lover of the Goddess of Fortune.  Krishna is the lover of Radha.  I embellished my explanation of this song a little.  I mentioned how Bhaktivinoda Thakur is describing Goloka Vrindavan and the love of the residents of Vrindavan for Krishna and vice-versa here.

We then spoke on Dadhici Muni and how he gave up his body in charity so that Indra could vanquish Vrtrasura (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.10.10).  This body can be destroyed at any moment.  Why not give it up for a noble cause?  In his purport, Prabhupada calls this para-upakara or ’helping others.’  The main point of Prabhupada’s purport is that the best use of our resources, including our own body, is for the welfare of others. 

What are real welfare activities?  These are beneficial activities executed in relation to Krishna.  I cited Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as prime example of this, since he is the inaugurator of the Sankirtan Movement.  When Lord Caitanya was a little baby He would cry and cry and cry.  The women of Navadvipa would try to pacify child Nimai in so many different ways.  When they chanted, ‘Haribol! Haribol’, He stopped crying.  Little Nimai offered the townsfolk sandesh (milk sweets) if they chanted Hare Krishna.  The Lord was playing out His pastime of being a perfect devotee.  The symptom of a first-class devotee is that anyone who sees Him chants the Holy Names.

This is the Sankirtan Movement of Lord Caitanya.  The heart is compared to a mirror.  Ceto-darpanam-marjanam.  In Lord Caitanya’s Siksastakam prayers He says that the mirror of the heart has been covered by ‘dust’ for so many lifetimes.  The chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, however, cleanses the heart of the dust.  You cannot see your reflection in a dusty mirror.  When the mirror is clean, however, you can see your reflection clearly.  When the heart is cleansed of the dust of material desires, we can understand our true identity as eternal servant of Krishna.  We will also be able to see Krishna within our heart. 

The Caitanya Caritamrta explains how Srimati Radharani’s heart is like a mirror, darpana, that perfectly reflects Her love for Lord Krishna.  She is the Queen of devotion, Radhika-rani.  She epitomizes and personifies love of Krishna to the highest degree.  When Lord Krishna sees His own reflection in a pillar in Dwaraka, He sees what Srimati Radharani sees in Her heart.  He wonders to Himself, ‘Who is that beautiful person?’  Then He realizes it is Himself!  Krishna is bewildered by His own beauty.  Krishna appears as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore, to understand what it is like to love Him and to feel the happiness on tasting the sweetness that love.  Sri krishna-caitanya radha-krishna nahi anya.  Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than Radha and Krishna.  Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna with the sentiment (bhava) and complexion (dyuti) of Srimati Radharani.  Radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam.  Mahaprabhu is also called Gauranga or ‘golden-limbed.’  Srimati Radharani is Gaurangi.  She is golden in complexion.  These are the confidential reasons for Mahaprabhu’s appearance.  And the rest of the Caitanya Caritamrta illustrates these reasons through the life of Lord Caitanya.  Careful study, therefore, of the Caitanya Caritamrita will certainly help us to understand Srimati Radharani.

I went on to describe a little more about Srimati Radharani being the personification of love of Godhead.  I also described how the prayers that we chant during the morning programme are describing the spiritual master’s intimate service to the Divine Couple, tulasi prayers are prayers in the mood of being a maidservant of Srimati Radharani and I explained how the mangalacharan prayers are also invoking Sri Radha’s mercy through disciplic succession.  The devotees appreciated these points.  We may not have realized these yet, but through continual practice of vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti the meanings of these exalted prayers will be revealed to us.  Then, of course, there is the chanting of the maha-mantra.  This is the essence of our all our sadhana.  It is the means and the end.  Pure love of Krishna is within the heart.  We simply have to awaken it through the process of hearing and chanting.  Nitya-siddha krishna-prema sadhya kabhu naya/ sravanadi suddhe-citte karaye udhaya.  By chanting Hare Krishna we are, in fact, calling out to Radharani - O Divine Mother!  O energy of the Lord!  Please engage me in the service of Krishna!  Radharani comes first.  As Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed - gopi bhartur padakamalayor daser-das-anudasa.  I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Lotus-eyed Krishna one hundred times removed.

I finished my presentation by reading from Prabhupada’s purport once again, stressing the futility of living in the material body.  We should live for others.  How do we do this?  Prabhupada describes the preacher in the following way.  He has love for God.  He has love for the devotees.  He is compassionate to the innocent (ie. those who are favourable).  And he avoids the envious or atheistic.  This is basically a description of a madhyama-adhikari or second-class devotee.  When we examine the symptoms of such a devotee, we can see that it is something quite exalted.  We should aspire for this.  We should help others.  In order to do so, however, we have to help ourselves.  We have to develop a taste for hearing and chanting.  How do we develop taste?  By following the programme set for us by Srila Prabhupada in association with his devotees.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!!  Srimati Radharani ki jaya!!

I haven’t written this journal for two weeks now due to being very busy with organisation and travelling. From the 9th-14th I was in Venice, Italy for our European Leaders Meeting and my preparation for that took three days. I was finishing a detailed agenda for the conference; arranging slide shows and evening presentations. Around 45 delegates were coming from all over the EU and I wanted to make their four days in Italy lively and rewarding.

So the Vaishnavas travelled from our communities in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, England and Italy. Our venue was the impressive former monastery on a hill in Vicenza, an hours drive from Venice. Surrounded by vineyards and bathed in the late summer sun, it was an excellent place to hold a thoughtful series of discussions. Last year we were here also.

The local devotees provided great hospitality. Prasadam was delicious Italian cooking served with enthusiasm and affection. Accommodation was very quiet and comfortable, with plenty of space to walk and some striking views.

Our first day focused on educational needs in ISKCON. We reviewed what educational materials we needed to help someone coming to Krishna consciousness right through to higher studies, and whether our philosophy was adequately represented in all the major languages of Europe. Apparently ISKCON’s books in Icelandic are a rather good read.

A self-assessment form for our own ongoing education was the subject of some minutes of quiet contemplation. The afternoon session included time for the issue of succession; identifying future leaders and arranging for their training.

The second day was designated as ‘Social Development day.’ The international GBC body has created several committees for year-round discussion of important issues. We were taking some themes from these to push forward the dialogue. Hence our first day’s focus on education. The GBC Constitutional Committee has raised some questions concerning membership rights and responsibilities and so our discussion was on certain aspects of this broad subject.

As I was chairman I offered an introduction to the subject of social development within ISKCON and showed a powerpoint to the members. There ensued a discussion on the different lifestyles and categories of membership which comprise today’s ISKCON. Later on, we talked of the need for temples and restaurants to support production on the movement’s 14 farms in Europe through purchase of produce.

Our third day began with all the good news from around the EU. And there was lots of it. I had asked everyone to forward some digital photos of their news and to bring posters and publications; it made a great display and an inspiring slide show. Paris, France was specially noted for the new house due to be converted for use as a temple by next Spring. Situated just fifteen minutes from the city centre, it represents a great turnaround for our movement in the region. Greece was also worthy of applause; after so many years of opposition by the Greek Orthodox Church, and due to new EU laws, we are finally allowed to register ourselves there as a ‘house of prayer.’

A presentation on the state of our farming communities within the EU made for sobering listening. Although Srila Prabhupada wanted the temples to all buy produce from our own farms, the heavy subsidy of farming in Europe means that most Vaishnavas can, and do, buy vegetables and milk from other sources at a fraction of the cost.

Germany’s slow recovery from recent misfortunes and their plans for gradual revival were presented. The assembled devotees applauded the German devotees for their determination.

Our fourth day was solely devoted to ‘Sadhu Sangha’ which in our case meant a trip to Venice for the perfect Harinam Sankirtan. Chanting with 70 Vaishnavas in the sunshine, through mediaeval city streets, great acoustics, no traffic, surrounded by water, fresh breezes, and eager tourists to listen, clap and sing and dance along with us made Venice into Kirtan Heaven. And the sense of being in heaven continued as we came back to Vicenza for home-made Italian ice cream in a variety of unusual flavours.

You can catch a flavour of what it was like by going to:

http://www.prabhupada.org/jaya/index.php?s=venice

although this is an evening event during the Venice Carnival.

I returned home to more meetings at the weekend. Our Congregational Council met on Sunday morning, and our Travelling Preachers gathered in the afternoon.

Today, of course, has been a wonderful celebration of Radhastami, the Appearance Day of Srimati Radharani. I gave class on the webcam to around 25 devotees and then attended an excellent class at the Bhaktivedanta Manor given by Gauri Das. The abhisheka, the ceremonial bathing of the Deities, was very special. I felt privileged to be able to offer the first oil, sandalwood paste, and sesame seed paste before pouring the first conch-shell of milk for Radha and Krishna. The kirtan and bathing went on for almost two hours.

And that, dear readers, brings you up to date.

I write the following assuming you have read:

The Prasadam Addict Section 3

To put this into perspective — there used to be a large dichotomy between the regular prasadam and the maha. Anymore, they are almost the same, but in the old days, the regular prasadam was much more austere than it is today and the maha was much better than it is today.

Without that background, this story is harder to relate to. The laddhus they make anymore, while using the same ingredients, aren’t the same. The texture is off — now they are soft, whereas they used to be hard. Now it is the sugar and butter that predominates the taste, but when the chickpea flour is roasted correctly, it is the dominant flavor.

When Amburish used to make the sweet rice, besides the better quality of the milk he used, he would put it on a slow flame and simmer it all night, from after evening milking until japa period, which started at 3:00 AM. It was almost like condensed milk, and spiced to perfection. No one takes the time to do that anymore, except Sudhanu, a few times a year.

I suspect many devotees have never even tasted proper laddhus and sweet rice, so Taru’s enthusiasm may be a little opaque to them.

I have a Taru and laddhus memory.

I was sound asleep, and suddenly there was Taru shaking me awake with an insistence that was impossible to ignore. I had slept in and it must have already been after 3:00 AM because I could hear japa being chanted in the prasadam room.

I was living in a shed at Bahulaban next to the building that housed the marble factory, kitchen, and showers on the ground floor, and the new prasadam room on the second. Because it was Janmastami, a set of Deities had been moved up to the prasadam room and mangala arotik was going to be held there as a huge influx of devotees had arrived and the temple room was too small to accommodate them.

“I have laddhus,” Taru said, and displayed a large stainless steel bowl full of them.

“But it’s Janmastami, we are supposed to fast until midnight,” I protested.

“The new day doesn’t start until mangala arotik — it isn’t Janmastami yet.”

What could I do? He led kirtans, he gave Srimad Bhagvatam classes — he was my senior godbrother. I really had no option except to surrender. We gobbled laddhus until the first strains of “samsara davanala lidha loka” floated through the air and, being the strict devotees we were, we immediately started fasting, even though we hadn’t emptied the bowl.