Everyone

The Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari Temple

In the 1970s, Srila Prabhupada struggled against all odds to build a temple at Juhu Beach, firmly believing it would provide wonderful opportunities for the citizens of Mumbai to develop their Krishna consciousness. Forty years later, Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari daily attract thousands to Their magnificent marble temple, a spiritual oasis for the city’s residents and tourists alike.

[Excerpted from Bombay Is My Office: Memorable Days with Srila Prabhupada in Bombay, a memoir. Copyright 2018 by Padayatra Press. Available from Amazon.in.]

In the May 5, 1956, issue of Back to Godhead, Srila Prabhupada published his article “Lord Buddha: The Emblem of Theism.” The opening paragraph informs us of the transcendental poet Sri Jayadeva Acharya’s worship of Lord Buddha. Srila Prabhupada then quotes the poet’s Sanskrit prayer to the ten incarnations of the Personality of Godhead Keshava (Sri Krishna), and then gives this translation: "O my Lord, the Personality of Godhead Keshava!

When I joined the Hare Krishna movement, something in Srila Prabhupada’s books intrigued me: God’s unlimited nature went beyond merely having innumerable forms; these forms, I was amazed to learn, often have numerous arms as well. India’s wisdom texts, in fact, describe a wonderland of beatific multiarmed beings.

During our devotional journey, we spiritual practitioners encounter many challenges that may make us believe that attaining love of God is an impossible feat. But studying the lives of great devotees fills our life with hope by assuring us that determined devotion always attracts Krishna’s attention. Bilvamangala Thakura is one celebrated devotee whose life teaches us that Krishna’s love for us is unconditional; He overlooks all our past transgressions and is ever ready to shower His affection on us.

Shaunaka continued: There is no one who knows more than the Lord Himself. No one is more worshipable or more mature a yogi than He. He is therefore the master of the Vedas, and to hear about Him always is the actual pleasure of the senses. – Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.2

When the 2017 Super Bowl game, the summit of American professional football, was held in Houston, a devotee convinced me and a few others to try to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books at a huge pregame event downtown. Venturing into the passionate, teeming crowd, we sold a few books, but not so many. This experience reinforced what was already obvious: mundane sport certainly has a powerful allure.

With the successful worldwide celebration of ISKCON’s fiftieth anniversary in 2016, another semicentennial event naturally follows in its wake: commemoration of the founding of New Vrindaban in 1968, two years after ISKCON's founding.

ABOUT THE BOOK AND THIS EXCERPT

In its twelve verses, Sri Manah-shiksa presents a procedure for one to enter into and become absorbed in the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. It is intended especially for dedicated students seriously practicing bhakti-yoga and aspiring for advanced levels of devotion.

Every living being requires air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, a place to live, and some work or activity. Any restriction on these for us is sure to raise our eyebrows, if not our anger.