English
8th August 2019
Srila Prabhupada is our senapati bhakta
Hare Krishna
I am in Richmond at Divyanam Prabhu’s residence. He has invited all the congregational ISKCON regional devotees, so it is a busy schedule.
When I arrived here, some devotees were thanking me for coming. My response was, "We thank the Lord, and specially we thank Srila Prabhupada for coming to America. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu had sent Srila Prabhupada to bless America. Here he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. My coming here and meeting the congregation is also Srila Prabhupada’s blessing. He is the cause of our meeting and he is the one we should thank."
And here we share another meeting. When Prabhupada arrived for the first time from India, there was no one to receive him. I see some of the garlands and the kirtana party, but none of that existed when Prabhupada had arrived. Prabhupada has written in his diaries now known as the Jaladuta Diaries from India to Boston and then, finally to New York. Now, we are giving greetings, garlands and a kirtana and mrdanga party. This is Srila Prabhupada's Sankirtana sena and he is the commander in chief of the Sankirtana army.
Yesterday, I saw the founded International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Of course, Krsna is always everywhere and in America also before Prabhupada's arrival, but He was not visible and He was not accessible or approachable. His stories here, His presence, His lilas, in America are all in the Krsna book and Srila Prabhupada made Krsna visible and available all over America and all over the the world.
Now, everywhere we go, we have Krsna bhaktas, Krsna temples, Ratha-yatra festivals, and we are all getting ready for Sri Krsna Janmastami and nagar Sankirtana is taking place all over the planet, Hare Krishna devotees are chanting with drums and kartals, which was only in Mayapur, Navadipa. In Manipur also. It was mostly in Hindi, and only in India. But now, by Srila Prabhupada's mercy, it is all over the world. Srila Prabhupada is the ambassador of the Holy name.
As the devotees started chanting Hare Krishna on the streets and everywhere, by seeing those Hare Krishna devotees chanting here, there and everywhere, people started calling us, "Oh, these are the Hare Krishna people! Look! These are Hare Krishna people." These were Srila Prabhupada's followers. Now, they are Gaura bhakta vrndas, Krsna bhaktas and are known as Hare Krishna people chanting Hare Krishna. Prabhupada’s chanting made everyone happy.
George Harrison was a big Beatles singer, and he took to chanting. He recorded an album and that album was sold all over the planet. It has been experienced that at times even before Prabhupada's arrival Prabhupada's followers in some country, in some town had already heard
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
from George Harrison’s album. It became a hit making Hare Krishna chanting popular. As Srila Prabhupada empowered, instructed and guided his Hare Krishna Consciousness movement making it available here and there Krsna is becoming accessible, available to all.
Books by Srila Prabhupada - Gita, Bhagawat, Caitanya-caritamrta , Upanishads and other scriptures are being distributed. Prabhupada had instructed his followers, like Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had instructed Srila Prabhupada. He had instructed Abhaya, to propagate Krishna Consciousness in the Western world in English. Srila Prabhupada personally brought Bhagavatam with him. He is personally, bhagawatamah bhagawat, the person bhagawat, and he has also carried his Srimad-Bhagawatam. Then he instructed his followers, "Now, you print my books. Translate it in English, French and you distribute it in as many languages as possible". Prabhupada had his books translated and printed in English and now we have to expand that. His instruction was, "You print. Translate and print my books, in as many languages as possible." So, his followers did just that.
For years, BBT, Bhaktivedhanta Book Trust had held a conference, and during the presentation BBT presenters revealed the secret. One blink means that one book by Srila Prabhupada has been distributed somewhere. Another blink, another book. Each blink, a book of Srila Prabhupada is being distributed. At BBT every second Srila Prabhupada's books were being made available.
The Deities, Krishna, Radha Krishna, Sita Rama, Gaura Nitai, Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra, Nrsimhadev - having installed Them meant Krsna is here. Right here, right now.
Hare Krishna