Saturday 24 March 2012

Srila Prabhupada Realizations By Guru Maharaja Part-4

But all kinds of wonderful things started to happen. So Srila Prabhupada was not in the limelight, Srila Prabhupada was not even in the forefront when Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati was present. But Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur knew who Srila Prabhupada was and what Srila Prabhupada would do. Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur told Prabhupada that ‘You are not successful in your business, you do not love money enough. In order to be successful in business, you have to love money enough. But you do not love money enough, therefore you are not successful in business.’ Then Prabhupada was in Bombay. Devotees were setting up an ashram. They were establishing a centre in Bombay. Prabhupada was very involved. Prabhupada was helping them even though he was a householder. He was not living in the ashram but he was giving them all kinds of help. And some suggested that Prabhupada becomes the president of the temple in Bombay. Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur said, ‘No, there is no need to encumber him with any responsibilities. In due course of time he will do something wonderful.’ Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur detected that here is a person who is so absorbed in hearing. He listens very carefully. He was impressed with that. And Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur also confided in Srila Prabhupada that very soon there will be fire in Gaudiya Math. He could see how the members of that
institution would start to fight amongst themselves for the sake of position and power and property. And Srila Prabhupada was away from all that. And finally after a lot of struggle, when Srila Prabhupada went to the West and there was an opportunity to get a building, a 6 or 7 storey building in Manhattan. At that time it was costing $100 000. Srila Prabhupada invited his god-brothers, ‘Please come. Let’s fulfill the mission of our spiritual master collectively.’ But they did not respond. Initially Prabhupada tried his best to co-operate with everyone. But when they did not, then Prabhupada had to start it up on his own. In the meantime Gaudiya Math of Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur disintegrated, fell apart. Some temples are there, the temple activities are going on but preaching stopped. That dynamic preaching that Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur set up, that dynamic preaching that was necessary to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world that stopped. Prabhupada once mentioned what they were doing is ringing bells and having picnics. Their spiritual activities were reduced to just ringing bells and having picnics. Prabhupada summarized that the Deity worship that they are doing, was ringing bells and then after offering to the Deities, that is picnic. Now Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur recognized the importance of an institution. Nowadays I often hear that some individuals say that institutionalized religion is bad. They criticize the institution. But we have to recognize that in order to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world effectively, we need an institution. Without an institution, it is not going to happen.
Like, if you want to set up a big multinational business, an essential thing is a structure. Without a structure, can it function properly? Let us go back, in the Gaudiya Math there were scores of temples, with many sannyasis, who were powerful individuals, very erudite, very learned, and very austere. Hundred of temples were there but where was the preaching? Now no preaching was going on. They were just trying to maintain themselves. But the dynamic thrust that is needed, the dynamic spiritual impetus that is needed, was missing. Why? They disintegrated because that collective endeavor of the institution was missing. Therefore they fell apart. Srila Prabhupada came and – I would even go to the extent of saying that from the ruins of the Gaudiya Math – Srila Prabhupada revived the spirit of Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur. And he established the institution of ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada very emphatically told us what the mistake was that his God brothers made after Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur’s disappearance. And he warned us, ‘You don’t make this same mistake.’ And what was the mistake? ‘Guru Maharaja told us collectively manage the society through a governing body and they didn’t do that. They appointed an Acarya.’ So the secret or success of this institutional endeavor is collective management.
So let us look at ISKCON’s history.

No comments:

Post a Comment