I had
mentioned a couple of months back that the 50th is coming up. That
is, the 50th anniversaries of Srila Prabhupada's
arrival in America and the formation of ISKCON: 2015 & 2016 respectively. One ISKCON manager said that of
course the Movement is planning to do something. My call, however, is directed not toward an
organization, but to individual devotees; that each of us prepare a personal
offering. And it’s really only 2 & ½
years away. That’s not very long. Now is the time to begin to meditate on
and to prepare offerings for this singular occasion.
And especially
Prabhupada’s disciples are not going to
be around for the 100th anniversary (at least not in our present
bodies). In a letter of April 21, 1968, Prabhupada wrote to the devotees, “who
knows if all the boys and girls joining me were not born by the Supreme Will of
Krishna just to help me in this great task of distributing Krishna
Consciousness in the Western World specifically.”
So what
projects or events would you like to focus on to offer to Srila Prabhupada on
this momentous occasion? Back in 73 -74 in Chicago someone said, “I see the Hare Krishna’s everywhere –
at the airport, in the downtown, at special events. You must have thousands of
people.” (At that time there were about 60 devotees in the temple.)
These
anniversaries are a time to make an impact; a time when the media pays
attention and when people are inclined
to perk up and notice. And it’s coming at us quickly. Carpe diem. It’s a opportunity for devotees to personally and collectively
make a favorable impression. Or it could be a time to simply make a renewal in one’s
personal commitment to Srila Prabhupada.
