His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) is widely regarded as the foremost Vedic scholar, translator, and teacher of the modern era. He is especially respected as the worlds most prominent contemporary authority on bhakti-yoga, devotional service to the Supreme Person, Krishna, as taught by the ancient Vedic writings of India. He is also the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Srila Prabhupada, as hes known to his followers, translated and commented on over eighty volumes of the Vedas most important sacred bhakti texts, including the Bhagavad-gita—a concise handbook for understanding the purpose and goal of human life—and the multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam—an epic biography of Krishna, Krishnas avatars, and His many devotees throughout the history of the universe. Srila Prabhupadas spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, was the leading proponent of Krishna consciousness in India during the early part of the twentieth century. He specifically taught the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the divine avatar who revived Krishna-bhakti all over India in the 1500s. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta first met the young man later known as Srila Prabhupada - in Calcutta in 1922 - he urged him to preach Chaitanya Mahaprabhus message of Krishna consciousness throughout the English-speaking world. After forty years of struggling within India to carry out his gurus order, while maintaining family and business responsibilities, Srila Prabhupada boarded a steamship bound from Calcutta to New York City in 1965. At age sixty-nine, with forty rupees and a trunk of his Bhagavatam commentaries - the first ever in English - his aim was to introduce Indias message of peace and goodwill to the western world. During the last twelve years of his life, Srila Prabhupada would inspire thousands of Westerners and Indians to devote their lives to Krishna consciousness, launching one of the fastest-growing spiritual movements in the history of the world. Many scholars and professors who met him and became familiar with his work continue to use Srila Prabhupadas books as standard university texts, and regard him as a genuine, realized, and scholarly teacher of bhakti. His books authoritative yet down-to-earth presentations of the most complex spiritual subjects imaginable continue to transform countless lives. Those disenchanted with the downside of materialism, questioning their place in the universe, and seeking knowledge of God backed by philosophical depth—sometimes undetectable in their existing religious traditions—often express unexpected joy at discovering hope and happiness through studying Srila Prabhupadas clear and inviting presentation of Krishnas teachings on the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. With the help of his students, he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). ISKCON is popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement, due to its members widespread practice of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra in public. Srila Prabhupada intended ISKCON to facilitate the association and education of bhakti-yoga practitioners, and his followers continue to spread that mission.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 22:20:15 +0000
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