Subject: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ------------------------------------------------------------ Srila Prabhupada A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, was born in 1896, in Calcutta, in a Vaisnava family. His father, Gour Mohan De, named him Abhay Charan. His father’s only wish was that, Abhay would become a devotee of Srimati Radharani. Abhay studied under British colonial rule, finally going to university to read chemistry. At university, he became a supporter of Gandhi’s movement to gain independence for India. As a measure of this support, he would only dress in white handloom cloth, woven in India and furthermore, he declined to accept his degree from the university. Abhay married and went into business as a small pharmaceutical firm to support his wife and family. He met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami, for the first time in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, took a liking to Abhay and told him to devote his life to teaching Vedic Knowledge; more specifically to preach Lord Caitanya’s message to the English speaking world. Although, Abhay accepted, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta within his heart as his spiritual master, it was not until 1932 that he became initiated. He then received both harinama and mantra diksa at his initiation. In 1936 Srila Prabhupada wrote his spiritual master requesting if there was any particular service that he could render. Srila Prabhupada received a reply to that letter containing the same instruction the he had received in 1922: ‘Preach Krishna consciousness to the English speaking world’. His spiritual master passed away from this world two weeks later; thus leaving these final instructions engraved on Srila Prabhupada’s heart. These instructions were to form the focus of Srila Prabhupada’s life. Srila Prabhupada wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita and assisted the Gaudiya Matha in its work. In 1944, during the Second World War, when paper was scarce and people had little money to spend, Srila Prabhupada began a magazine called Back to Godhead. Single-handedly, he would write, edit, oversee the layout, proof-read and sell the copies himself. This magazine is still being published today. In 1950 Srila Prabhupada adopted the vanaprastha (retired) life; thus retiring from home and family life, in order to devote more time to his studies. In 1953 he received the title Bhaktivedanta from his Godbrothers. He travelled to Vrindavana, where he lived very humbly at the Radha-Damodara temple. He spent several years there studying the scriptures and writing. In 1959 he took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. It was then, while staying at Radha-Damodara temple that he started on his masterpiece: translation and commentary of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in English. He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets. Within a few years, he had written three volumes of English translation and commentary for the first canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Once again, single handedly, he bought the paper and gathered funds, to print the books. He sold the books himself and through agents in the larger Indian cities. He now felt ready to carry out his spiritual master’s orders and decided to start by taking the message of Krishna consciousness to America, convinced that other countries would follow suit. Obtaining free passage on a freight ship, called the Jaladuta he finally arrived in New York in 1965. He was 69 and practically penniless. All he possessed was a few copies of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and a few hundred rupees. He had had a very difficult crossing, suffering two heart attacks and once arrived in New York he didn’t know which way to turn. After a difficult six months, preaching here and there, his few followers rented a storefront and apartment in Manhattan. Here, he would regularly give lectures, kirtana and distribute prasadam. People from all walks of life, including hippies, were drawn here; in search of that missing element from their lives and many became part of ‘Swamiji’s’ following. As people became more serious, Srila Prabhupada’s followers used to hold regular kirtanas in the parks. The lectures and Sunday feast days became renowned. His young followers eventually took initiation from Srila Prabhupada, promising to follow the regulative principles and chant 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra daily. He also reinstated the Back to Godhead magazine. In July 1966, Srila Prabhupada established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness — ISKCON. His aim was to use the society to promote Krishna Consciousness throughout the world. In 1967, he visited San Francisco and started an ISKCON society there. He then sent his disciples all over the world to spread Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message and open new centres in Montreal, Boston, London, Berlin, and other cities in North America, India, and Europe. In India, three magnificent temples were initially planned: Vrindavana, the Krishna Balaram temple with all its ancillary facilties; Bombay, a temple with an educational and cultural centre; and in Mayapur, a huge temple with a Vedic planetarium. Srila Prabhupada produced all of his books bar the three written in India within the next eleven years. Srila Prabhupada slept little and would spend the early morning hours writing. He would write almost daily between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m. He dictated his text, which his disciples then typed and edited. Srila Prabhupada would translate the original texts from Sanskrit or Bengali, word by word, and gave a complete commentary. His works include Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, the multivolume Caitanya-caritamrta, The Nectar of Devotion, Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Teachings of Lord Kapila, Teachings of Queen Kunti, Sri Isopanisad, The Nectar of Instruction, and dozens of small books. His writings have been translated into over fifty languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world’s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. Despite his heavy literary schedule, Srila Prabhupada did not let his writing stand in the way of his preaching. In just twelve years, despite his advanced age, he circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. His days were filled with writing, teaching his followers and the public, and with guiding his growing society, until the day he departed from this world. Before departing from this world Srila Prabhupada gave many instructions to his disciples to follow in his footsteps and to continue the preaching and spreading of Krishna Consciousness all over the world. He departed this world on November 14 1977. In the short time he spent in the west, he preached continuously, established 108 temples, wrote more than sixty volumes of transcendental literature, initiated five thousand disciples, founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, began a scientific academy (the Bhaktivedanta Institute) and other trusts related to ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada was an extraordinary author, teacher, and saint. He managed to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world, through his writing and preaching. His writings comprise of many volumes and are the basis of Krishna consciousness not only for his disciples but for his grand-disciples, affiliated members of the disciplic succession, and for the public at large. His life history from his earliest days to his passing away in 1977 is vividly described in his authorised biography, the Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta by Satsvarupa Goswami. ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Text PAMHO:3486323 (112 lines) [W1] From: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami (ACBSP) Date: 03-Sep-10 09:01 +0100 Subject: Some Ways I Know Prabhupada ------------------------------------------------------------ Around the end of November 1977, I spent the last days with him in Vrndavana. He laid in his bed, nearly blind, and did not communicate. He only waved to his secretary, Tamal Krishna Maharaja, who would go over to his bed and exchange with him in whispers. A few devotees stayed in the room chanting kirtana. At one point I was leading the kirtana. I was singing the Nrsimhadeva prayers when Srila Prabhupada motioned Tamala Krishna Maharaja over to his bed. Later TKG told me that Prabhupada asked him, “Who is singing?” Tamal Krishna Maharaja replied, “Satsvarupa Maharaja.” Prabhupada replied simply, “Hmm.” In my desire to always want more attention, I lamented that Prabhupada didn’t say more. Tamala Krishna Maharaja told me I should be fortunate that Prabhupada had at least said, “Hmm,” considering the state he was in. And in fact he passed away within two days. That was my last personal exchange with Srila Prabhupada. On November 14th, I stood at the foot of his bed all day as he stayed internal and finally passed away at 7:30 P.M. Around April of 1977 I massaged his feet with talcum powder and felt I was saying farewell. Around January 1974 he called me to be his permanent servant, and I joined him in L.A. I was in high spirits and felt very privileged. Around May 1968 he arrived in Boston and gave lectures at our storefront and at the universities for a full month. Various personal exchanges with him. Around February 1974 he brought me with his entourage to Vrndavana and made me feel at ease in India by his fatherly presence. On the way to Vrndavana in our taxi, we came behind an old Indian bus that was belching black smoke out its exhaust. Prabhupada turned to me and said, “They don’t have buses in your country like this, and if they did have them, they would not let them stay on the road.” Actually I had been afraid of the sight of this bus, and Prabhupada in a fatherly way gave me consolation for the culture shock of arriving in India. Around July 1966—I walked into the storefront at 26 Second Avenue and saw him for the first time. I thought he looked like Lord Buddha. After that first night I never stopped coming back, and I followed the four rules. I began reading his books, which I continue to do now, 43 years later. Around spring 1973 I joined him on my first trip to India and Mayapur and served him as his secretary, taking dictation for his letters. We went to visit his Godbrother Sridhara Maharaja in Navadvipa. Around all the time—Whenever I chant japa I am following his order. Around 1971 he visited us at Dallas gurukula and there were fascinating exchanges involving the installation of Radha-Kalachandji. They had arrived with decorative paint, but the devotees convinced me that the decorations should be scraped off and They should be repainted straight black. When Prabhupada arrived he was angry that this had been done, and he said that the decorations should be restored. On one morning walk I told him that I thought the new painting had not dried. He said to Syamasundara, “Let us get tickets and leave Dallas immediately.” But fortunately we used electric fans on the Deities, and They dried in time for the installation. During that same visit Prabhupada reprimanded me for chopping down a tree that had fallen and was leaning against a building. When I asked him if my act was “demoniac,” he said, “No, just ignorant.” Around 1970 I answered the invitation Prabhupada extended to all his temple presidents and visited him in Los Angeles, his Western-world headquarters, to learn the ideal way to run a temple. I copied everything I saw there, the white-colored tiles and yellow painted walls of the temple room, the way Visnujana Swami used black electric tape on his fingers to play mrdanga, etc., and brought it back to Boston. Two previous times I asked Prabhupada if I could quit my welfare job and he said no. I asked him again and he said yes. Around April 1974 I grew restless as Prabhupada’s permanent servant and asked him in Bombay whether I could change my service. He grew irritated and told me not to jump around like a monkey. I wrote him a letter of apology and said I wanted to stay with him. In the upper corner of my letter he wrote in his hand, “You are pure. May Krishna protect you from calamities.” Around June 1974, while still his servant, I sat in the room in Geneva and heard him speaking of the need for a group of men to travel to the universities to place standing orders of his books. I spoke up and said I could do it. “Then do it!” he said abruptly. Around the fall of 1966 I first heard Prabhupada say Krishna married 16,108 wives. I raised my hand and said, “I’m trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita philosophy, but now you tell us that Krishna married 16,000 wives. How can I understand this?” He replied, “You cannot understand it? The greatest scholars cannot understand it.” Around the summer of 1966, I asked Prabhupada my first personal question: “Is there a level of spiritual advancement from which you don’t fall down? He answered simply, “Yes.” That one-word answer gave me confidence and ability to follow the four rules. Around the spring of 1967 I was accompanying Prabhupada in the New York City streets after a visit to his lawyer on Chambers Street. Prabhupada said, “The city is like a jungle.” I replied, “Except there are no snakes.” Prabhupada said, “What about Mr. Payne?” Around May of 1968 Prabhupada and the devotees went to Boston Commonwealth Pier, where he first arrived in America in 1965. We went in Hamsadutta’s used schoolbus. Except for the driver’s seat, it had no seats. The devotees placed a chair for Prabhupada, and a strong devotee, Vamana dasa, held the chair, but still the chair slid back and forth. At the pier there was a sign, “Unalloyed Steel.” Srila Prabhupada said, “They have unalloyed steel, and we have unalloyed devotion.” On the way back he told Hamsadutta he should not have bought a used bus. Around Memorial Day of 1967, Srila Prabhupada was in the Beth Israel Hospital with a stroke. Devotees took turns staying with him in his room so he was never alone. Once I was the only person present while he was sleeping. He woke, sat up and said, “I do not know Krishna. I only know my Guru Maharaja.” These are just a few times that I have jotted down. There are many ways I know Prabhupada, and I treasure them all.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 07:29:09 +0000
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