Homages from ISKCON Centers

Homages from ISKCON Centers
Våndävana
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
We pray to Their Lordships Çré Çré Kåñëa-Balaräma, Çré Çré Rädhä-Çyämasundara, and Çré Çré Gaura-
Nitäi, all of whom lie at the transcendental center of our Våndävana Vaiñëava community, that our
attempts to glorify His Divine Grace Çréla Prabhupäda on the occasion of his Vyasa-puja be successful.
Undoubtedly, no attempt to describe our gratitude and debt to Çréla Prabhupäda will ever be sufficient.
Our debt, which begins with our having been given the chance to be released from the saàsäradävänala
of material existence, knows no bounds. Even when we have gained some inquisitiveness into life
beyond the material mire, without His Divine Grace Çréla Prabhupäda we are simply searching for a needle
in a haystack, without any tangible chance for success. In Våndävana, as in other places of pilgrimage in
India, we gain firsthand awareness of all varieties of so-called spiritual practices and followings. Every
day our ears are bombarded with kathä from proponents of various kinds of religiosity or so-called
spirituality, without the foundation of teachings authorized by Çré Kåñëa or disseminated by a bona fide
disciplic succession. Even if we chance upon a member of an authorized disciplic succession, we are
reminded that anyone who does not recognize the vast wealth of teachings given by Çréla Prabhupäda,
which he passed down from the Six Gosvämés and Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, is a most unfortunate
seeker of transcendental happiness.
In our ISKCON Våndävana Vaiñëava community we have devotees originating from all backgrounds
and settings, and we all remain perpetually indebted to Çréla Prabhupäda for his patience, perseverance,
and dedication in his efforts to give us the chance to become fully Kåñëa conscious, even in this lifetime,
if we simply follow his instructions to chant sixteen rounds and follow the four regulative principles. We
have the greatest opportunity to advance in Kåñëa consciousness by taking advantage of the association
of devotees and getting beyond our bhautika mentality of thinking we are the body. In interactions with
devotees who originate from different cultures, such relationships can only be sustained and nourished
if we give up designations based on mundane culture and race. Our path to the transcendental platform
is described by Çréla Rupa Gosvämé in verse 4 of his Upadeçämåta, and verified by Çréla Prabhupäda in his
purport to that verse. There Çréla Prabhupäda enjoins us to interact with other devotees in loving exchanges
based on Vaiñëava etiquette instead of mundane etiquette, which sometimes causes misunderstanding
and bad feelings between devotees.
In our service to the Deities, the wealth of bringing together devotees from different cultures advances
and purifies our Deity worship. The dedicated temple devotees have a natural love and devotion in
their service that is difficult to comprehend for those from atheistic or pseudoreligious backgrounds.
The devotees maintain a high standard of purity and cleanliness in Deity worship, in line with the high
standards set by Çréla Prabhupäda. Over the years, ISKCON Våndävana has become famous for its high
standard of worship and cleanliness. In fact, the standard of Deity worship throughout Våndävana has
improved since Çréla Prabhupäda inaugurated the Çré Kåñëa-Balaräma temple. Also, the 24-hour kértana
started by Çréla Prabhupäda when the temple first opened and later carried on by his devoted followers
has become an inspiration for all of ISKCON and the world.
Whether we are Çréla Prabhupäda’s direct disciples or a little further down the disciplic succession,
we know that if we want to please him we have to accept the principle of “Books are the basis, preaching
is the essence, purity is the force, and utility is the principle.” Yet despite often quoting this formula, we
find that getting it to stick in our hearts and become one with our personal aspirations is, for some of us
at least, difficult. All glories to the dedicated devotees here in Våndävana who have dedicated their lives
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