SPD02-01 Your Ever Well-Wisher
SPD02-01
Your Ever Well-Wisher
Your Ever Well-Wisher
[00:08] [Narrator:] His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
[00:13] The movement he started is now known to millions around the world.
[00:18] Yet he himself remained in the background.
[00:22] Without personal ambition he worked humbly to spread Krsna consciousness,
[00:27] devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
[00:31] Yet his achievements and personal character did not go unnoticed.
[00:36] The world's leading scholars and religionists praised his unique contribution,
[00:41] and thousands grew to love him as their dearmost friend and well-wisher.
[00:47] In his memory, his disciples erected a stunning memorial in the hills of West Virginia,
[00:53] now visited by half a million people a year.
[00:57] In this and many other ways around the world, Srila Prabhupada is offered expressions
[01:03] of love by those whose lives he most deeply touched.
[01:29] "Always remember Krsna, God, and never forget Him." This was the goal of the rich
[01:36] spiritual culture that flourished in India for thousands of years.
[01:41] Even today, Lord Krsna is remembered and glorified through monumental
[01:46] achievements in architecture, art, drama, music, dance and philosophy.
[01:56] Calcutta, 1896, the capital of India, the crown jewel of the British Empire.
[02:03] An elegant city of wide avenues and spacious parks.
[02:08] It is here that Abhaya Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami is born.
[02:13] A pure devotee of Krsna from birth, Abhay Charan is raised in a well-to-do mercantile family.
[02:21] From infancy he goes with his father to the Radha-Krsna Temple, and at age four the
[02:26] child spontaneously begins worshiping similar Deities in his home.
[02:32] When Abhay Charan hears of Ratha-yatra, a traditional festival in
[02:36] honor of Lord Krsna, it further inspires his natural devotion.
[02:41] With his father's help, every year he holds his own small celebration,
[02:46] drawing the neighborhood children into the festivities.
[02:51] At age eight, Abhay Charan enters the nearby Mutty Lall Seal school.
[02:57] After graduation he attends Scottish Churches College, one of the most respected in Calcutta.
[03:04] At the time, Mahatma Gandhi is organizing his countrymen in a nationwide boycott of everything
[03:09] British. Gandhi-ism is surging through India, uniting her in a massive noncooperation movement.
[03:17] Sensitive to British subjugation of India's culture and people,
[03:22] Abhay Charan becomes an early supporter of Gandhi's movement.
[03:26] But 1922 marks a turning point in Abhay Charan's life.
[03:30] He meets Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, the greatest devotee of Krsna of his time.
[03:38] Srila Bhaktisiddhanta belongs to the disciplic succession of spiritual masters extending back to Lord Krsna Himself.
[03:46] He convinces Abhay Charan that Krsna's spiritual message transcends India's dependent position.
[03:54] Nothing is more important.
[03:56] He requests Abhay Charan to spread Krsna consciousness in the Western world.
[04:01] Abhay Charan hears, and is deeply impressed.
[04:06] By this time Abhay Charan has a growing family.
[04:09] He moves to Allahabad and starts a successful pharmacy.
[04:14] All the while, his spiritual master's words remain implanted in his heart.
[04:20] In 1933 he becomes a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, who comments,
[04:26] "He will do everything in due time."
[04:30] Three years later, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta leaves this world,
[04:34] after again requesting Abhay Charan to preach in English.
[04:38] Abhay Charan takes his words to heart and starts writing prodigiously.
[04:45] In 1944 he single-handedly begins publishing and distributing Back to Godhead, a fortnightly.
[04:52] The first issue addresses the crisis of war.
[04:56] The second world war within twenty years is scourging the Earth.
[05:00] Back to Godhead points out that people throughout the world want an end to war,
[05:05] but so often they want God's kingdom without God, and they cannot have it.
[05:11] "All our plans will be doomed to failure by our own selfishness unless we turn to God."
[05:18] After the war, Abhay Charan moves to Jhansi and founds the League of Devotees.
[05:24] He prepares a charter for an international organization, its members dedicated to a peaceful, God-centered life.
[05:32] Acharya Prabhakar, his first disciple, remembers:
[05:36] [Acharya Prabhakar:] [speaks in Hindi] "He was always teaching Krsna consciousness, and people came to him for knowledge.
[05:46] After hearing from him, many wanted to become his disciple.
[05:49] He told them, 'I can make you my disciple, but first you please chant the names of God
[05:54] and give up cigarettes, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling.'
[05:59] But few people would agree to give up these habits.
[06:02] Then he said, 'Indians are imitating the Westerners. I will make disciples in the West.
[06:07] Then, when the Indian people see Westerners following religious principles, they will also follow.' "
[06:18] [Narrator:] Following tradition, at age 58, Abhay Charan retires from family life
[06:24] and five years later accepts the renounced order.
[06:28] He is now known as A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
[06:31] He lives alone in the historic medieval temple of Radha-Damodara in Vrndavana,
[06:37] engaged in deep studies and writing.
[06:41] It was in Vrndavana that Lord Krsna revealed His pastimes fifty centuries ago,
[06:47] and saintly persons throughout the ages have worshiped this land as the most sacred on earth.
[06:54] Unlike other holy men who live there, Bhaktivedanta Swami is not thinking of retiring.
[07:00] For him, Vrndavana is a source of inspiration, an ideal place to chant, worship and write.
[07:07] Here he begins work on his life's masterpiece:
[07:11] translation and commentary on the monumental devotional classic Srimad-Bhagavatam.
[07:17] Bhaktivedanta Swami calls it "A cultural presentation for the respiritualization of the entire human society."
[07:27] But often he leaves Vrndavana to print his magazine and books in nearby Delhi.
[07:33] Traveling takes time and tolerance, but Bhaktivedanta Swami accepts it as part of his spiritual
[07:39] mission to broadcast devotional service to Lord Krsna.
[07:45] He writes, "Our leaders have carefully set aside the treasure house of India's spiritual asset,
[07:52] and they are imitating the Western, material way of life.
[07:56] But people are more unhappy than ever before, because of the exclusion of the most
[08:00] important part of life: the spiritual aspect."
[08:05] In Delhi, Bhaktivedanta Swami personally distributes copies of Back to Godhead,
[08:11] and with small donations struggles to maintain the publication.
[08:16] He regularly sees Surendra Kumar Jain, a printer.
[08:21] [Surendra Kumar Jain:] "It was somewhere in the month of February 1956 that I first met Prabhupada.
[08:27] He came to my press for getting the magazine printed, Back to Godhead.
[08:32] I found that it was not very easy for him to collect money.
[08:36] He would come to the press practically every day, and after the printing was done
[08:41] he would do everything himself. But he was a dedicated person, a very committed person,
[08:47] and at the times when he was not in a position to pay the bills,
[08:51] I would ask him, 'Why are you running this? Why don't you stop it?'
[08:55] He would say, 'No, it is my mission, and one day, Surendra Kumar, you will see that I will succeed in my mission.' "
[09:03] By 1964 Bhaktivedanta Swami completes three volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
[09:09] Prime Misister Lal Bahadur Shastri lauds his accomplishment and recommends his books
[09:15] for placement in India's public libraries.
[09:18] Sumati Morarjee, chairman of the Scindia Steamship Company, gives contributions for
[09:23] printing Bhaktivedanta Swami's books and arranges for his passage to America.
[09:28] [Sumati Morarjee:] "And he used to come every evening. And one day he said that he would like to go to America.
[09:35] I was surprised. I said, 'Swamiji, don't go there. You are too old to go, and it will be too cold for you.'
[09:44] Still he insisted, so I said, 'All right.'
[09:46] So I made arrangement for him to go by Jaladuta.
[09:50] On way while he was passing through Suez, that day was Lord Krsna's birthday,
[09:56] and he gathered all the people on board the ship-all the crew members, officer-
[10:03] and recited some sloka, and then some prasada was distributed to them and all that."
[10:12] [Narrator:] Bhaktivedanta Swami, a lone mendicant, seventy years old, traveling half way across the world,
[10:20] his only resources, the message he carries and his unflinching faith.
[10:27] The voyage on the Jaladuta proves a great trial. Bhaktivedanta Swami endures seasickness
[10:33] and then suffers severe chest pains. In two days he has two heart attacks.
[10:39] If another comes, he thinks he would surely not survive.
[10:43] But gradually he recovers.
[10:45] He writes: "I feel today better, but I am feeling separation from Vrndavana.
[10:52] I have no qualification, but I have taken up the risk just to carry out the order of my spiritual master."
[11:00] September 17th, 1965. The Jaladuta arrives in Boston Harbor.
[11:06] Onboard, Bhaktivedanta Swami writes:
[11:09] "My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul,
[11:14] but I do not know why You have brought me here.
[11:17] Most of the population here is absorbed in material life.
[11:21] How will I make them understand Your message? I can simply repeat Your words and,
[11:26] if You like, You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.
[11:32] I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge.
[11:35] But I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna.
[11:39] I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, 'devotion with knowledge,' and now, if You like,
[11:44] You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
[11:48] Signed, the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami."
[11:56] Bhaktivedanta Swami first stays in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the home of a friend's son,
[12:02] Gopal Agarwal, and his wife Sally.
[12:05] [Sally Agarwal:] "The Swami was a friend of my husband's father, Mr. Agarwal, in Agra, India,
[12:13] and he asked me to sponsor the Swami, and that's what I did.
[12:17] And that's why he came to our house in the middle of the night one night.
[12:21] He stayed with us for a month in Butler,
[12:23] and I learned, over the time, I learned to love him as I would a father-in-law.
[12:29] He was a very sensitive and kindly type of person.
[12:35] He was indeed one of the most unusual men I've ever known in my life.
[12:41] The Swami came with so few possessions. He came with the clothes he had on his back,
[12:46] he had a typewriter, and he had his books. And he had a bag of cereal.
[12:50] Imagine coming to a country on the other side of the world with so little.
[12:54] And yet he came with so much in himself.
[12:57] The Swami brought a pan with him in which he cooked his food, and in fact cooked our lunch too.
[13:04] Our little boy was only six months old when he came, and the Swami was there when Brij first stood.
[13:10] And he laughed and laughed to see him stand up. When he left, he was just oceanic, oceanic.
[13:18] He just seemed to take in the entire universe when he left, and he left a lot.
[13:22] I enjoyed my association for that one month with him about as much as I have enjoyed anything in my life."
[13:29] [Narrator:] Although comfortable in Butler, Bhaktivedanta Swami thought,
[13:34] "The most important philosophy in the world, Krsna consciousness,
[13:38] should be spread in one of the most important cities in the world, New York."
[13:42] He moves to 100 West 72nd Street.
[13:46] Three months later, his typewriter and tape recorder for translating are stolen.
[13:51] Bhaktivedanta Swami later said, "I came to America risking my life.
[13:56] I was physically unfit and at the fag end of my days. Sometimes I did not know where to live,
[14:02] nor was I used to the severe cold. Seemingly, I was alone for one year, but I never felt alone;
[14:09] I always felt the presence of my spiritual master. So I did not lose my enthusiasm, despite all difficulties."
[14:19] Bhaktivedanta Swami arrived in America during a decade of discontent.
[14:24] There's widespread dissatisfaction with America's war in Vietnam,
[14:28] and with what some consider her racist, exploitative dealings at home and abroad.
[14:34] Disillusioned by the establishment, the youth create a counterculture of their own.
[14:40] Around the time Bhaktivedanta Swami came, waves of Americans are
[14:43] breaking away from the status quo, searching for an alternative.
[14:50] For a short time, Bhaktivedanta Swami lives in the Bowery in a loft given by a friend.
[14:56] Mukunda Goswami, who was attending his classes at this time, tells of their first meeting.
[15:02] [Mukunda Goswami:] "He wore very thick glasses and had a big Sanskrit book spread out before him.
[15:07] His voice was very deep and resonant. He spoke with great authority,
[15:11] and the Sanskrit slokas he spoke were very beautiful, very melodious.
[15:15] He was obviously a very distinguished scholar. And I became very curious, almost astonished,
[15:21] as to how someone of his stature-he looked very much like an aristocrat-
[15:25] could be living and residing in the Bowery, the skid-row of New York.
[15:30] And afterwards, I approached him to speak. I was standing, and he was sitting on his small dais.
[15:35] So he was looking up at me. And he had the look of a very happy, innocent young child.
[15:41] And I could see that he actually had all the time in the world for me. He wasn't short of time.
[15:46] I asked questions; he would answer.
[15:48] Then after some time he moved to a somewhat better neighborhood on Second Avenue.
[15:53] We helped him rent a small storefront there, and he had an apartment in the back.
[15:56] And within a few weeks' time this little storefront on Second Avenue,
[15:59] on the Lower East Side of New York, which was then populated by thousands of young hippies,
[16:04] had been transformed into a beautiful Krsna temple.
[16:08] Allen Ginsberg, I remember, began to come at that time."
[16:12] [Allen Ginsberg:] "When he moved down the Lower East Side, I thought that was a stroke of brilliant social judgment.
[16:18] Because traditionally, svamis, yogis and masters all moved uptown to the rich,
[16:24] and were sponsored and funded by the rich. And you would find Krishnamurti living
[16:27] in elegant apartments on the Upper East Side, with drawing rooms and French furniture.
[16:33] And here was Bhaktivedanta like in the depths of Calcutta, where the hippies were,
[16:39] and where the acid-heads were, the freaks and the amphetamine-heads and the meth-monsters.
[16:47] So it seemed like he was actually bringing some kind of ray of song and light to the right place,
[16:55] the lower depths, where it was needed.
[16:56] And of course the Lower East Side was the intellectual center, in certain respects,
[17:01] in art and in advanced spiritual vibrations, particularly in the Sixties.
[17:08] So it seemed a historically just move on his part."
[17:13] [kirtana in Tompkins Square Park, October 1965]
[18:18] [Ron:] "A friend of mine told me about a love celebration at Tompkins Square Park, which was last Thursday,
[18:23] the Thursday before last, and I knew I had been seeking a guru for a while.
[18:29] So Krsna sent me there, and I was there, and after meeting some of the initiates I knew that
[18:37] the Swami really had to be into something."
[18:39] [Prabhupada:] "I came here in America in September 1965. I was wandering the street,
[18:50] and some of the boys saw me, and gradually they came to me.
[18:58] My mission is to preach the philosophy of Lord Caitanya, chanting Hare Krsna,
[19:09] Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
[19:16] This transcendental vibration will cleanse the dirty things of the mind.
[19:26] It doesn't matter what he is. This transcendental vibration is equally appealing to everyone,
[19:38] without any question of language, nationality, creed or caste,
[19:47] because it is coming forth from the depth of the soul."
[19:53] [Narrator:] "Krsna was all along preparing something," Bhaktivedanta Swami later wrote,
[19:59] "and He brought you to me one by one, sincere boys and girls, to be trained in Krsna consciousness.
[20:06] Now I can see that it is a miracle. Otherwise, one old man with only a few books to sell for barely getting food,
[20:13] how could he survive, what to speak of introducing a God conscious movement in a materialistic society?"
[20:20] For Bhaktivedanta Swami these are happy days, singing and speaking with the vigor of a young man.
[20:26] He brings the Hare Krsna movement into the public eye, by chanting in the parks,
[20:31] by distributing Back to Godhead magazine, by holding free Sunday Love Feasts.
[20:36] Many are attracted. His hopes for the future expand without limit.
[20:42] The Hare Krsna movement has taken root.
[20:51] [Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins:] "Some time in the spring of 1967, people handed me clippings from New York
[20:56] newspapers saying that there was a swami in New York City.
[21:00] So I went to New York to look up this person and his movement.
[21:04] My first contact was with disciples apart from Bhaktivedanta Swami,
[21:08] and I was frankly somewhat disappointed by the disciples.
[21:14] They seemed to be not very informed about what they were doing;
[21:18] they were a little unclear about the whole thing.
[21:21] And yet they were terribly serious and terribly devoted to what they were about.
[21:28] And I couldn't put those two pieces together,
[21:31] you know, their confusion and uncertainty on the one hand, and
[21:34] their commitment on the other, until I met Bhaktivedanta Swami.
[21:37] And as soon as I met him, which was after several visits to the temple,
[21:44] I realized that this was the person who really made the whole thing go.
[21:48] But the impressive thing about him was it was never himself in the center.
[21:53] He never said, 'You should do this because of me.'
[21:57] He always said, 'You should do this, and I should do this, because of Krsna.'
[22:02] When he gave them instructions to do what they thought were impossible things...
[22:07] Like he told one of the early disciples, 'Go start a magazine.'
[22:11] The guy had never had any contact with a magazine before in his life, except to read one.
[22:15] And he said, 'How am I to do that?' And Bhaktivedanta Swami said, 'Krsna will help you.'
[22:23] He was just astonishing in terms of the personal impact that he had on people,
[22:27] the way that he was able to give them confidence in themselves,
[22:31] but more importantly, give them confidence that there was a guide who was leading them
[22:36] and would give them the strength that they needed."
[22:39] [Narrator:] Bhaktivedanta Swami does not belong to New York. He belongs to Krsna.
[22:45] So when a few of his followers invite him to San Francisco, he goes, and introduces the free-wheeling youth to Krsna:
[22:52] His ancient culture, His spiritual food, His eternal chant-
[22:57] the way to stay high forever.
[23:00] In the heart of the hippie movement, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park,
[23:04] and in the hearts of the hippies, the Hare Krsna mantra resounds with unimagined potency.
[23:38] As in New York, Bhaktivedanta Swami gathers sincere followers.
[23:43] The Hare Krsna movement begins to grow.
[23:48] Bhaktivedanta Swami becomes respectfully known as "Prabhupada," meaning
[23:52] "one at whose feet the masters sit."
[24:07] From Montreal, Prabhupada sends six disciples to open a temple in London.
[24:13] Yamuna-devi dasi remembers:
[24:15] [Yamuna:] "So we went to London that fall, and although we had no permanent place of residence
[24:22] and we were completely dependent on Krsna, somehow or another,
[24:26] by the enthusiasm that Srila Prabhupada had given us in Montreal,
[24:30] we were able to make contact with George Harrison,
[24:35] who was a member of the Beatles at the time.
[24:37] And he was such a pleasant person to be with. He so much appreciated the Hare Krsna mantra
[24:45] that he immediately said, 'Let's make a 45 record.'
[24:49] So we cut a record, and he was very pleased with it,
[24:53] did a little background music on it, and it was released, and Apple organized tours for us.
[25:00] We went to Germany and France and had television coverage.
[25:04] And in this way the London Times wanted to do..., the Sunday Times wanted to do a feature on us,
[25:13] and we were able to send the report back to Srila Prabhupada with the headlines,
[25:17] 'Krishna Consciousness Startles London.' "
[25:22] [Narrator:] As people come to him, convinced of the Krsna conscious philosophy, Srila Prabhupada
[25:26] accepts them for initiation-not on the basis of birth, as in the rigid Hindu caste system,
[25:33] but on the basis of qualification and sincerity. In the whole history of Indian spiritual life,
[25:40] no one has ever attempted something as bold and seemingly impossible:
[25:45] to transform Westerners into full-fledged devotees of Lord Krsna.
[25:50] But by his intense spiritual energy and compassion,
[25:53] Srila Prabhupada is successful beyond his own expectations.
Arrival Press Conference, July 1974, Dallas
[26:00] [Interviewer:] How old is the movement?
[26:03] [Prabhupada:] Well, from historical point of view it is about five thousand years old.
[26:08] [Interviewer:] Why has it just begun to really catch on in the Western world?
[26:12] I mean just recently, you know, in recent years has it began to sweep the Western world?
[26:18] Why is this?
[26:19] [Prabhupada:] The Western world, the younger generation were being frustrated, the hippie movement.
[26:27] So when they saw something tangible, they accepted it.
[26:36] [Interviewer:] What things… If everyone in the United States believed in Krsna, and to the extent that you do,
[26:46] what would happen to this country? How would it be transformed?
[26:51] [Prabhupada:] They will be very happy and peaceful.
[26:56] There will be no more hippies. [laughter]
[27:02] [Interviewer:] What would you describe as a hippie? Someone who smokes…
[27:06] [Prabhupada:] You know better than me.
[27:10] Something extraordinary.
[remembrance]
[27:14] [Prabhupada-krpa Goswami:] "The thing that really inspired me the most about Srila Prabhupada was his
[27:19] complete dedication to his devotees.
[27:24] The thing that Prabhupada liked the best was to be with his disciples.
[27:28] It wasn't that he took on large amounts of disciples
[27:31] and then sat back and then just pushed them to do this and that and the other for himself.
[27:37] He did more for us than we ever did for him.
[27:40] And traveling with him personally, I got to see what a tremendous sacrifice he made for us.
[27:46] And even when he was ill, he would still preach. He would still be concerned.
[27:50] He would still be asking after how things were going in the Society that he created,
[27:55] how were individual disciples doing.
[27:58] He always had time also to look to our personal needs.
[28:01] He was very concerned. Prabhupada wasn't aloof.
[28:05] All he really wanted was us to reciprocate the love that he gave to us.
[28:09] And if we reciprocated, he would give us more.
[28:12] So my personal experience with Srila Prabhupada was that I found in him a person
[28:20] that I could actually genuinely fully give myself to."
[28:23] [Narrator:] In Srila Prabhupada's eyes, Krsna consciousness is not an armchair philosophy or a part-time religion.
[28:31] It is a way of life, a transcendental culture that can end man's political, economic and social problems.
[28:38] To realize his vision, Srila Prabhupada circles the globe fourteen times in twelve years,
[28:45] inspiring his followers and discussing Krsna consciousness with all interested persons.
[28:50] His door is open to everyone.
Room Conversation, May 22, 1975, Melbourne
[28:53] [Prabhupada:] "Actually, nothing is private property. Everything belongs to God.
[29:00] Rather, we have stolen God's property, and claiming 'my property.'
[29:08] There is Australia; the Englishman came here. But is that the property of English?
[29:18] It was there, America. It was there, and when everything will be finished, it will be there also.
[29:29] In the middle we come and claim, 'It is my property,' and fight."
[29:35] [Narrator:] To revive the Krsna conscious tradition in its full richness,
[29:38] Prabhupada envisions God-centered, self-sufficient farm communities
[29:43] based on the principle of plain living and high thinking.
[29:47] The first such community begins on 133 acres in the hills of West Virginia.
[29:53] Prabhupada calls it "New Vrindavan," after Krsna's place of pastimes in India.
[29:59] In 1972, Srila Prabhupada begins a Krsna conscious primary school system in Dallas, Texas.
[30:07] [Satsvarūpa Maharaja:] "Srila Prabhupada very practically introduced a primary school system to teach children
[30:13] self-realization along with regular studies.
[30:16] This means that the gurukula system is unique, in that the educators are themselves free of vices.
[30:24] We could hardly find an institution where the faculty members are free of loose sexual relationships,
[30:34] intoxication, smoking, although they may have good credentials academically.
[30:42] That would be rare to find.
[30:44] But in Krsna consciousness the teacher must also be on the platform of pure devotional service,
[30:51] because the children are very impressionable, and they learn whatever their educators are
[30:56] actually doing, not just what they are saying.
[30:59] These were some of the principles that Srila Prabhupada introduced in Gurukula."
[31:04] [Narrator:] Srila Prabhupada gradually trains his disciples in the time-honored tradition of Deity worship
[31:11] to help them advance spiritually. He explains, "I have introduced this system of Deity worship
[31:17] among the non-believers, the atheists. Krsna cannot be understood with our present senses.
[31:23] But by His kindness He agrees to personally appear as the Deity to accept our service.
[31:30] When we are attracted to the beautiful form of the Deity, we will forget our attraction for material things.
[31:37] And as we serve the Deity, we will develop pure love of God.
[31:41] Then our lives will be successful."
[31:58] In Melbourne, Australia, Srila Prabhupada worships Lord Caitanya, a divine incarnation of Krsna.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture, May 19, 1975, Melbourne
[32:08] [Prabhupada:] "By Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy we have installed the Deity here in your country.
[32:16] You are very fortunate that Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to your country
[32:23] to teach you how you become free of all anxieties. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission.
[32:35] Everyone is full of anxiety, but everyone can be freed from all anxieties
[32:46] if he follows the path chalked out by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
[32:52] As people are fallen in this age, the method also has been offered very simple.
[33:04] They have been recommended simply to chant the holy name of God. That's all."
[33:12] [Narrator:] For five years after first arriving in America, Srila Prabhupada presents Krsna consciousness
[33:18] primarily to Westerners: from housewives to hippies to heads of state.
[33:24] Then, in November 1971, after a world tour, he returns to Delhi with some of his followers.
[33:31] The Mayor receives him with the fanfare that greets a homecoming patriot.
[33:36] Prabhupada quotes Lord Caitanya:
[33:39] "It is the duty of those born in India to benefit others by spreading Krsna consciousness.
[33:45] This is India's greatest glory, her unique gift to the world."
[33:50] Thirty thousand Indians gather nightly at the Delhi fairgrounds to see the
[33:54] Western devotees and hear Prabhupada speak.
[34:08] [Bhavananda Maharaja:] "To bring about this change in India, the revival of Krsna consciousness,
[34:14] Prabhupada's plan was to bring his 'dancing white elephants.'
[34:21] He told us that 'When I bring my Western disciples to India, they will all come to see
[34:28] my dancing white elephants,' he said.
[34:31] So we were actually very fond of being Prabhupada's dancing white elephants.
[34:38] We took that as the special mercy of Prabhupada on us, that we could be his dancing white elephants
[34:46] and help him, in any way we could, to preach Krsna consciousness in India.
[34:53] Prabhupada was told by an astrologer in Navadvipa, in West Bengal,
[35:00] that when he saw Prabhupada's face, a photo of Prabhupada, he said, 'This man, he has the ability
[35:08] to make a house in which the whole world can live peacefully.'
[35:14] 'To make a house in which the whole world can live very peacefully.'
[35:18] And when I told Prabhupada that, he said, 'Yes, that is my mission,
[35:23] that within Krsna consciousness the whole world can live peacefully.' "
[35:36] [Narrator:] While the Hare Krsna movement spreads worldwide,
[35:33] Srila Prabhupada wants to nurture its roots in India.
[35:36] He journeys to Mayapur, West Bengal, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya.
[35:42] It was Lord Caitanya who inaugurated, five hundred years ago,
[35:45] the congregational chanting of God's holy names.
[35:50] In Mayapur, devotees purchase a small tract of land and start constructing an international guesthouse.
[35:57] For a handful of devotees who know nothing about construction, this is not an easy task.
[36:03] Srila Prabhupada directs and encourages them.
[36:08] "For ourselves," he says, "we are happy and satisfied living in a grass hut.
[36:12] But if we simply have a hut, who will come here?
[36:16] The more we develop our land, the more people will be attracted."
[36:20] Prabhupada plans to build a Temple of Understanding, to house the world's largest planetarium,
[36:26] and around it a spiritual city, with schools, shops, farms,
[36:31] and many temples for worshiping Lord Krsna.
[36:36] Within the hearts of India's people is a natural respect for the eternal Krsna conscious culture.
[36:42] Many come forward to take part in Srila Prabhupada's movement and accept initiation from him.
[36:50] "No one should go hungry within a ten-mile radius of the temple," Prabhupada instructs.
[36:56] In March 1972, devotees start the ISKCON Food Relief program, distributing prasada,
[37:02] vegetarian food offered to Lord Krsna.
[37:07] As the Mayapur project develops, Prabhupada invites his disciples from six continents
[37:12] to join together yearly on the anniversary of Lord Caitanya's appearance.
[37:17] Prabhupada wants them to be purified and inspired by remembrance of the Lord in His holy land.
[37:26] In Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada treats his followers to a guided tour of the holy places
[37:32] and personally relates Lord Krsna's pastimes.
[37:39] The devotees relish a bath in the sacred waters of the Yamuna River.
[38:10] Prabhupada acquires land in Bombay, India's most cosmopolitan city.
[38:16] Although he has only a hut for a temple, Prabhupada envisions an international cultural center.
[38:23] His ambition is to give as many people as possible access to the nectar of transcendental life,
[38:28] whether through philosophy, service or spiritual food,
[38:32] so that everyone can become happy, hopeful and peaceful.
[38:38] Dr. N. D. Desai, a leading Bombay industrialist, recalls:
[38:43] [Dr. N. D. Desai:] "From 1971 through 1977 I must have met Prabhupada many, many times.
[38:49] And each time I met Prabhupada I would try to find fault with him.
[38:54] And even I would try to make him angry, or I once even tried to find out whether was greedy.
[39:03] I just couldn't find any fault with him.
[39:06] In fact, you know, in matter of business life or daily life we do try to see the weakness of the other person.
[39:15] And sometimes, as a businessman, we try to take advantage.
[39:19] But here was a personality, a person who just wouldn't become agitated.
[39:25] There was absolutely no lust in him, there was no greed in him.
[39:29] There was… I couldn't see a spot of jealousy in him.
[39:34] And then I realized, after six year of, that he was a very empowered, divine person."
[39:44] [Narrator:] "Gradually," Srila Prabhupada says, "I am seeing all of my dreams being fulfilled."
[39:50] In Bombay, a spacious marble temple, a theater, a restaurant,
[39:54] a library and a twin-towered seven-story hotel.
[39:59] In Mayapur, the planned spiritual city develops.
[40:11] In Vrndavana, the popular Krsna-Balarama temple
[40:14] and International Guesthouse, and a secondary school.
[40:19] Prabhupada sees his Society grow into a worldwide confederation
[40:23] with more than one hundred temples, restaurants, institutes, schools and farm communities.
[40:30] Five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya predicted that one day the holy name of Krsna
[40:35] would be heard in every town and village of the world.
[40:39 By the mid Seventies, "Hare Krsna" becomes a household word.
[40:44] [Dr. Harvey Cox:] "When I first met the first Hare Krsnas, I can remember how surprised I was,
[40:51] and really I wondered what this meant.
[40:54] The costumes and the chanting and the shaved heads appeared a little strange, a little bizarre to me.
[41:00] But the more I came to know the movement, I came to find that there was
[41:06] a striking similarity in the essence of what they were teaching and saying
[41:10] and in my understanding of the original core of Christianity,
[41:14] that is, living simply, not trying to accumulate worldly goods or profit;
[41:19] living with compassion toward all creatures; sharing, loving, and living joyfully.
[41:26] I am impressed with how much the teaching of one man
[41:29] in the spiritual tradition that he brought has impacted itself into the lives of so many people.
[41:36] So in my own view, his contribution is a very important one and will be a lasting one."
[41:45] [Narrator:] As a child, Srila Prabhupada celebrated Ratha-yatra near his home in Calcutta with his playmates.
[41:50] Years later, he is still celebrating the Ratha-yatra festival-
[41:54] but now on the main streets of twenty large cities around the world,
[41:59] and with hundreds of thousands of disciples and guests.
Ratha-yatra, July 1974, San Francisco
[42:18] [Prabhupada:] "People follow, imitate Americans. I am traveling all over the world.
[42:25] Everywhere I see they are trying to manufacture the skyscraper building,
[42:30] imitating your country.
[42:32] So, if you kindly become Krsna conscious and chant and dance in ecstasy,
[42:38] emotional love of God, the whole world will follow you,
[42:43] and it will be Vaikuntha. There will be no more trouble.
[42:46] Thank you very much."
[43:40] [Narrator:] Whether before huge crowds or a few disciples or alone, Srila Prabhupada's mood of devotion prevails.
[44:55] Wherever in the world he happens to be, Srila Prabhupada follows a regular daily schedule.
[45:01] In the quietude of the early mornings he goes out for lengthy strolls, and
[45:05] shares intimate moments with a small group of students and guests.
[45:10] Rejecting superficial and dogmatic thinking, he carefully guides his students
[45:15] to increased insight and understanding.
[45:20] After his walk, Srila Prabhupada greets the Deities of the Supreme Lord,
[45:24] offers obeisances, and lectures on a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Class, June 26, 1975, Los Angeles
[46:03] [Prabhupada:] "So you may have two millions dollars, I may have ten dollars, you may have hundred dollars.
[46:10] Everyone has got some riches.
[46:13] That is admitted.
[46:16] But nobody can say that 'I have got all the riches.'
[46:21] That is not possible.
[46:24] If somebody can say that 'I have got all the riches,' He is God.
[46:33] That is spoken by Krsna. Nobody has said in the history of the world.
[46:45] 'I am the enjoyer of everything, and I am the proprietor of all the universe.'
[46:52] Who can say that?
[46:55] That is God."
[46:58] [Narrator:] In the afternoons, Prabhupada meets with guests-here in Los Angeles with scholars of religion.
Garden Conversation, June 24, 1975, Los Angeles
[47:05] [Prabhupada:] "Your pride, your property, your family, your bank balance, your skyscraper building,
[47:11] all taken away. Bas, finished, gone away.
[47:15] This is God. Now understand God?
[47:20] You believe or not believe, God will come one day, He will take you, will take your everything,
[47:25] and 'Get out.' That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,
[47:31] that 'Those who are not believer in God,
[47:34] to them I come as death and take away everything. Finished.'
[47:42] That one has to believe. Yes. 'As sure as death.' Then God is sure.
[47:53] So unless one is madman, he cannot say there is no God.
[47:59] Anyone who denies the existence of God, he is a madman."
[48:05] [Dr. Wolfe:] "Prabhupada, wouldn't it be better to say he is bind, he is stupid?"
[48:09] [Prabhupada:] "Yes. The same thing.
[48:12] Mad is the sum total of all stupidity."
Prabhupada dictating in his room
[48:18] [Prabhupada:] "...festival takes place..."
[48:20] [Narrator:] Wherever Srila Prabhupada is, he continues to write prolifically. Rising long before dawn,
[48:27] he spends hours translating and commenting on original Sanskrit and Bengali texts.
[48:33] [Prabhupada:] [dictating] "Sometimes they wash their hands and feet before entering the temple."
[48:39] [Narrator:] His most significant contribution is his books.
[48:43] Srila Prabhupada sees sixty million distributed in twenty-eight languages.
[48:49] Professors from dozens of major universities use them as standard texts and write appreciative reviews.
[48:56] [Dr. J. Stillson Judah:] "He also did a very important work in introducing to the Western world for the first time
[49:02] the devotional philosophy of Sri Krsna Caitanya.
[49:06] Not only did he introduce these texts,
[49:08] but he introduced them in a way that was quite different from the other translations
[49:14] that had been made. I've read so many different translations, for example, of the Bhagavad-gita,
[49:19] which had all been interpreted from the impersonalist type of philosophy of the Advaita school.
[49:27] And here you might say for the first time was a truly devotional translation,
[49:32] a spiritual translation of the text, which I felt really came
[49:36] much closer to the true meaning and the purpose of the Bhagavad-gita."
[49:42] [Narrator:] Established in 1972, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust exclusively publishes Srila Prabhupada's works.
[49:49] It becomes the world's largest distributor of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy.
[49:55] For Srila Prabhupada, the transcendental knowledge in these books forms the basis of the
[50:00] Hare Krsna movement, a movement prophesied to grow for the next ten thousand years.
[50:07] In 1977, despite his failing health, Srila Prabhupada continues traveling and teaching.
[50:16] February 1977, the world's largest pilgrimage, Kumbha-mela, in Allahabad, India.
[50:22] Millions gather to bathe in the holy Ganges.
[50:25] Although physically weak, Srila Prabhupada attends.
[50:29] His disciples perform kirtana and distribute books and Back to Godhead magazines.
[50:36] [Kirtanananda Maharaja:] "Practically from the very beginning, Srila Prabhupada gave us notice that he would not always be with us.
[50:45] Of course, it was only a few months after he opened the storefront on 26 Second Avenue that he became very ill,
[50:51] and he had that heart attack, or whatever it was, and it seemed even at that time that he might leave then.
[50:59] And he warned us. He said, 'I am an old man. I may leave at any moment.
[51:02] Notice is already given. Three score and ten, that is already passed.'
[51:07] So Prabhupada was never under any illusion that he would remain forever in this world with us.
[51:14] But he said, 'My instruction will remain.'
[51:17] And he trained us from the very beginning to follow his instruction and to use our individuality
[51:24] to execute his instruction for the glorification of Krsna."
[51:29] [Narrator:] Although his illness steadily worsens, Srila Prabhupada speaks nightly at a program in Bombay.
[51:38] In May he journeys to Rishikesh, at the foot of the Himalayas, to try to regain his health.
[51:44] There he continues to instruct his intimate disciples.
[51:50] Then in October, Srila Prabhupada returns to his old home, Vrndavana, to spend his final days.
[52:14] Even though he is physically incapacitated, Srila Prabhupada's intellect remains clear.
[52:20] He continues dictating translations and comments on his life's work, Srimad-Bhagavatam,
[52:25] until days before he departs from this world.
[52:30] [Prabhupada:] [dictating] "Everything is acting, moving, by the supreme desire of Krsna.
[52:39] This consciousness is Krsna consciousness."
[52:47] [Narrator:] November 14th, 1977, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada passes on.
[53:13] That divine personality who spoke on different subjects with thousands of meanings,
[53:18] who imparted knowledge in thousands of ways, and who inspired thousands of devotees,
[53:24] has now returned to his Lord, Sri Krsna.
[53:28] Being kind to His devotees, Lord Krsna gave them the association of Srila Prabhupada.
[53:35] Being independent in His desires, the Lord has now broken that association.
[53:41] Yet Srila Prabhupada remains.
[53:44] He lives forever in his teachings, and he lives forever in the hearts of his followers
[53:49] as their ever well-wisher.
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