International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) - Ray of Hope
The Sankirtan movement in Eastern Part of India was started by Sri Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 1500s. The faith of masses which was started, promoted and preached by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became the guiding principle and way of life for the ocean of believers. Subsequently ISKON, The Hare Krishna movement, took this movement to its Himalayan height for the world today.
Srila Prabhupada whose child name was Abhay
Charan De, (1-Sep 1896 – 14-Nov 1977) was a spiritual disciple of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu. He rediscovered and institutionalized the "Hare Krishna
Movement" for the welfare, peace and prosperity of entire Mankind in his
lifetime.
Srila Prabhupada, an humane soul who had
a noble and humble beginning went on to acquire a degree of graduation in 1920
in English, philosophy and economics. At the age of 22, he married Radharani
Devi to enter into Grihasthya Jeevan. He immediately started his small
pharmaceutical business to meet his humble livelihood. In 1950 when he
turned 54 year of age, he adopted the path of renunciation (Vanprastha).
He pursued his Vedic thoughts and Philosophy for next 9 years,
only to take the Vows of absolute recluse (Sanyass) in the year 1959 at the age
of 63 year.
And for the next 18 years until his mortal existence on planet
earth (14-Nov 1977) he assiduously wrote a series of commentaries on Vaishnava
scriptures.
His life was a mission. He was a Vedic Scholar who understood
the path of Knowledge and redemption of pain and miseries of life. He invoked
the sleeping masses to arise and attain the message of Krishna Chaitanya.
Srila Prabhupada founded the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
in New York City in the year 1966, when
he was 70 years old.
The generation to come would not believe the ability, mental
agility and perseverance of Srila Prabhupada who at the age of 70, went
on to institutionalize the ISKCON movement with virtually no resources in an
unknown land amidst indifferent society. By now he was quite late and grew up
in a mortal age. But his spiritual power and vision were indomitable.
He had attained authority in the school of Vaishnavite Hinduism which
was thoroughly taught to him by his guru, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He
started preaching to the masses, delivering the message of Lord Krishna to his
audience in New York and elsewhere. His central command was to follow the Bhagavata Purana as a central scripture.
No sooner did he start. He received a barrel of vocal criticism,
disapproval and rejection from many celebratities like J. Stillson Judah, Harvey Cox, Larry Shinn and
Thomas Hopkins. Yet he never had second thoughts about his ability and
objective of life. He never blinked for a moment. Bhagavata Purana remained his central scripture for all his
discourse.
Srila Prabhupada life was a mission. He perceived a
growing cult of despair and disillusionment about life on account of lessening
value of spiritualism and rising materialism. The absence of Philosophy and
scientific logic in religious discourse has left the masses vulnerable to
digression desperation and soporific vulnerability.
The key to his preaching was to initiate the concept of Life
under Bhaktivedanta (bhakti-vedānta). Which meant, "One who has
realized that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the end of all
knowledge.
Mission to the West: In 1936, just days
before Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's death, Srila Prabhupada was
anointed to spread Krishna consciousness in the English language to the West.
Thus, ISKON had the blessing of Sacred Guru.
In
1967, ISKCON established its first temple at New York followed by another soon at San Francisco. With virtually no
resource at disposal, it was blessing alone that made the beginning possible. Srila Prabhupada teaching were very
simple to an ordinary mass. His Four Regulative
Principles During initiation (diksha) at ISKCON were:-
·
To follow a lacto-vegetarian diet
·
Not to consume any intoxicants (alcohol, cigarettes or drugs)
·
Not to gamble
·
Not to engage in 'illicit sex'.
The Mission of ISKCON had less or
possibly no resources. They could not have staged ornamental demonstrations in
those early days of struggle. And hence he employed three basic methods of
public contact.
·
Street chanting (sankirtana),
·
Book distribution and
·
Public speeches/ Preaching.
Festival: - Srila Prabhupada invoked his followers to
celebrate Hindu festival for spreading social awareness and religious ethos. Festivity
is the soul of Religion. Connect and integration with the lord was the
essence of his preaching. He urged his followers to celebrate
Janmashtami, Radhashtami, Diwali, Gaura
Purnima, Ekadasi, Holi, Rama Navami and Gita Jayanti. The Ratha Yatra, the Festival of Chariots was declared as an annual grand celebration for
displaying and connecting to the deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and
Subhadra.
In the twelve years between his arrivals to New York till the
mortal stay on planet earth, he never took a pause. Srila Prabhupada
determination and engagement to preaching and promotion of the Krishna
consciousness for the welfare of mankind is a fascinating and indefatigable story.
He travelled across the globe delivering sermons. Lectured at
assemblies, initiated devotees in ISKON fold, established temples, constructed
Vedic Gurukul, taught meditation to his disciples and wrote articles and
interpretation of Bhagwat Puran. The Epic Gita was the nerve to his consciousness.
He went on to establish Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and it is
claimed to be the world's largest publisher of ancient and classical Vaishnava
religious texts today. There are now over 80 books authored by him on
philosophy and interpretation of Indian religious Scripture and Bhagwat Puran,
which has been published through this trust.
Perhaps after the burning of Nalanda University in 1203 AD where
nearly 9 million books and periodicals were set on fire, it was the first great
movement to write and educate the masses about the greatness and depth Hindu
philosophy.
ISKON besides being a Spiritual movement, is also a social and
cultural movement. ISKON also offered learning on ways of life. It went on to
establish a social society like New Vrindaban in West
Virginia, Nueva Vrajamandala in Spain, La
Nouvelle Mayapur in France and Villa Vrindavan in Italy.
Such
was the vision of Srila Prabhupada that on one occasion of discourse with renowned
historian Arnold J. Toynbee in
London, he stated: "I have started this Krishna Conscious Movement
among the Indians and Americans and for the next ten thousand years it will
increase."
Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada mortal stay on planet
earth remained till 14 November 1977. He submerged into immortality and departed
for heavenly abode at Vrindavan, India in 1977.
Until 2016, The ISKCON as planted by Srila Prabhupad had
made rapid strides in reaching to the masses. It had over 95,000 initiators and
over 10 lakh life time members engaged in promoting Krishna
Conscious Movement around the world. By the end of 2020 today, it has around a
million congregational members worldwide.
The Congregational members are those believers who live in
their own homes and follow the path shown by Srila
Prabhupad. The other group of devotees
are Clergy who live in ISKCON temples and work full time for
the movement.
ISKON has a large and
world-wide presence for its Krishna consciousness followers through an
approximately 135 ISKCON Temple in Europe, another 60
in North and another 65 in
South America and another 70 in Africa and another 80 in Asia besides running
nearly 170 temples in India.
World-wide
there are ISKCON temples education center Vedic Gurukul, Ayurveda treatment
center, eateries, pilgrimage center and Vedic Village. The headquarters
of ISKCON is located at Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya
Mandir Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, in West Bengal India.
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