SpiritualThe world we are living in is—according to the Vedic point of view—the prison house of God’s kingdom. And just as an ordinary prison exists only because of the misconduct of a few citizens, so the material world exists only because some rebellious souls turned away from the Supreme Authority, Kṛṣṇa. But a prison isn’t only a place of punishment; its underlying purpose is to educate and rectify the inmates and make them law-abiding citizens again. Similarly, the ultimate purpose of the creation is to reform its inhabitants and lift them up to their original, constitutional position as eternal loving servants of the Supreme Lord.
Fortunately, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He descends into this world from time to time to explain the process of rectification. He comes in His original form or various incarnations, and He sends His pure devotees to represent Him and canvass on His behalf.
A little more than five hundred years ago, Kṛṣṇa appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the role of His devotee. One reason He did this was to inaugurate harināmasaṅkīrtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord, as the most effective method for self-realization for this age. He predicted: pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma “My name will be praised and chanted in every town and village throughout the world.” (Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya 4.126) But within two hundred years after Lord Caitanya’s disappearance, His following began to deteriorate, and cultural and religious intolerance, nurtured by the Mogul and British rules, helped obscure His sublime teachings. Not until the nineteenth century, by the effort of the great vaiṣṇava ācārya Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, was the timeless mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement finally revived, culminating in the discovery of Śrī Caitanya’s birth site at Māyāpur, West Bengal, in 1888. Fervently desiring the fulfillment of Lord Caitanya’s prediction, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura prayed: When will that day come when all greatly fortunate souls in countries such as England, France, Russia, Prussia [Germany], and America will take up banners, kettle drums, mṛdaṅgas, and karatālas and thus cause the ecstatic waves of harināma-kīrtana and the singing of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s holy name to rise in the streets of their towns and cities?
In 1891, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda published Śrī Godruma Kalpatavi, a description of his Nāma-haṭṭa program, and there he wrote under the section Vartta (Announcements): Our preachers of the holy name carry the banner of the Lord from village to village in a selfless, dedicated manner, preaching and fulfilling the order of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This type of preaching of eternal religious principles will spread in a short time, not only all over India but throughout the whole world.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had prayed to the Lord for a “Ray of Viṣṇu,” a competent son to assist him in his mission. In 1874, with the birth of Bimala Prasad, Kṛṣṇa fulfilled his desire. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura instilled his own preaching spirit in Bimala Prasad, who later became known as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta faithfully continued the work of his father by preaching all over India and establishing sixty-four temples. He even sent some of his disciples to foreign countries: Burma, Great Britain, France, and Germany. As a result of their preaching in Berlin, one German seeker, Ernst Schulze, became attracted to the vaiṣṇava philosophy and traveled to India in 1934, where he received harināma initiation from Bhaktisiddhānta. After accepting the renounced order of life he became known as Sadānanda Swami.
In London, one English lady, Miss D. C. Bowtell, received harināma initiation from one of Bhaktisiddhānta’s disciples and was given the name Vinoda Vāṇi Devī Dāsī.
But when there was no indication that their preaching would become more effective, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta called his missionaries back to India. He was disappointed. He had been most desirous to fulfill the vision of his father, and he repeatedly urged his disciples to take up the important task of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness beyond the borders of India.
When Abhay Charan De, who later became known as A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, met Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī for the first time in 1922, Bhaktisiddhānta requested him to dedicate his life to preaching the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in English in the West. Although family obligations prevented Abhay Charan from immediately taking up his spiritual master’s order, he nevertheless always kept the words of his guru in his heart, determined to fulfill the transcendental order in due course of time. In preparation for this great task, he began writing a commentary on Bhagavad-gītā and, in 1944, began publishing a monthly magazine called Back to Godhead.
After taking sannyāsa in 1959 and completing an English translation of the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (with his extensive commentary) in 1964, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami arranged to go to the USA to carry out the order of his spiritual master. Taking with him two hundred sets of his three-volume edition of the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he sailed to America in August 1965. Both the crossing and the first months after his arrival in September 1965 were difficult, and while subsisting only on the sales of his books to bookstores and interested individuals that he met, he sent letters to his godbrothers and other religiously minded people in India and asked for their support.
In January 1966, Śrī Padampat Singhania, a wealthy businessman and devotee, offered to help construct a Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple in New York City. Bhaktivedanta Swami was delighted and expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Amazingly, although still struggling alone, he urged him to take part in turning his vision of forming a society of devotees into reality—a society not limited to the US but one that spanned the globe: I am very glad to learn that you wish to construct a Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna with nice architecture and the idea is quite appropriate for a personality of your position. You are a great devotee of Lord Dvarakadhisa traditionally.
It is the duty of every Indian to preach the cult of Bhagavatam in every part of the world and your cooperation in this attempt will be highly appreciated by Lord Dvarakadhisa. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita has said that one who helps in the matter of preaching the principles of Bhagavad-gita is the most favorite of the Lord. So this knowledge should be distributed systematically and we Indians specially the Hindus and more specially the Vaisnavites must abide the instruction of Lord Krishna to distribute the knowledge all over the world.
America is just in the middle. On one side of America is Europe and on the other side is Asia. So we can expand the Bhagavatam mission both ways. On one side towards England, Germany, Italy etc. and on the other side towards China, Japan etc. If we sincerely do this work, Lord Krishna will help us in so many ways, and because you are a sincere devotee of the Lord, you have very kindly responded to my humble call.
At the beginning of 1966, Swami Bhaktivedanta had neither disciples nor temples, but, as is apparent from this letter, his isolation in no way deterred him from fulfilling the transcendental desire of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, which was also the desire of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Getting financial support from Sri Padampat, unfortunately, turned out to be more difficult than he expected. The government of India had placed restrictions on foreign exchange. Therefore, in May, Bhaktivedanta Swami wrote to his godbrother Tīrtha Mahārāja, asking him to use his contacts with government officials to obtain the required permission, and again he expressed his firm conviction that the preaching of Lord Caitanya’s message all over the world would be successful: I am enclosing herewith the letter of Sri Padampat Singhania of the J. K. Organizations, Kamla Tower, Kanpur dated 14th January 1966 which will speak for itself. I think you may also know the gentleman and he is competent to spend any amount for a nice temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York. The Singhania family is traditionally devotees of Dvarakadhisa and therefore they are the right persons to take up this transcendental service of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada [Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati] wanted such temples in cities of foreign countries, such as New York, London, Tokyo, etc., and I had personal talks with him when I first met him at Ultadanga in 1922.
If we can open one center in New York, there is great potency for opening other centers also, not only in America, but also in Europe, Japan, China, and many other places, just to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Unfortunately, his godbrother could not offer the required help, and thus the construction of a temple in New York never materialized. Against all odds, however, Swami Bhaktivedanta continued his preaching efforts and gradually attracted a small number of followers.
By September 1966, he had established his first preaching center and accepted his first Western disciples‚ and in January 1967 he went to San Francisco, where one of his first students, Mukunda Dāsa, together with his wife Jānakī and some other devotees, had opened a temple. After his return to New York City in May, Swami Bhaktivedanta’s health deteriorated, and he decided to return to India to recuperate—or to die peacefully in Vṛndāvana if that was Kṛṣṇa’s desire.
Still, despite all difficulties, he was constantly meditating on how to fulfill the order of the previous ācāryas to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, as suggested by an incident that took place just before his departure to India on August 23, 1967.
Brahmānanda recalls this in his article, “Swamiji’s Departure,” which was published in one of the early Back to Godhead magazines: Some devotees ride with Swamiji in the taxi. Brahmānanda sits in the front crying, and Swamiji reaches over and slaps him on the back—a father giving his loving son support, a pat, and Rāyarāma only rivets his eyes to Swami, ever-attentive.
Swamiji says: “There is no question of separation. The sound vibration fixes us up together, even though the material body may not be there. What do we care for this material body? Just go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and we will be packed up together. You will be chanting here, and I will be chanting there, and this vibration will circulate around this planet. I may be going, but my Guru Mahārāja and Bhaktivinoda are there. I have asked them to kindly take care of all of you, my transcendental children. The grandfather always takes care of the children much better than the father. Do not fear.”
And Swamiji says, “I think this is what Kṛṣṇa desires. I have come to you, but now in this old age I may be going to Vṛndāvana, and you may be coming there to me and be trained up, and we will spread this movement all over the world. Rāyarāma—you will go to England. Brahmānanda— you want to go to Japan or Russia? That’s all right.”
Once in India, it did not take long for Swami Bhaktivedanta to regain his strength and health. Immediately he resumed his plans to spread the saṅkīrtana movement on a worldwide scale. On September 23, he wrote to Rāyarāma, reminding him of their agreement to start a temple in London: Yesterday morning I sent Kīrtanānanda to London with a letter of introduction to Miss D. C. Bowtell. [...]: I hope this lady who is supposed to be a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavī will receive him well and there is possibility to start a center. You were to start for London by the beginning of November. If Miss Bowtell gives us her cooperation and Kīrtanānanda is successful in his mission, you hopefully will reach there timely, and on receipt of a favorable report, myself and Acyutānanda may also go.
But Kīrtanānanda did not stop in London; he decided to return directly to the United States. His spiritual master was disappointed but remained undaunted. On November 11, he wrote to Brahmānanda: If there is one sincere soul, that is sufficient to start a new center. With this expectation, I wanted to send Kīrtanānanda to London, but he has proven himself unworthy. When I arrive in the States, I may ask Rāyarāma to go to London and your good self to Russia and Gargamuni to Holland. On November 30, Brahmānanda suggested in a letter to Swamiji that he could tour Europe and then proceed to India to purchase devotional paraphernalia. Swami Bhaktivedanta planned to stopover in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Hawaii on his way to San Francisco, and thus he replied: I duly appreciate your program for European tour, as well as coming to India for doing business. While I shall try to open some branches in the Pacific, you can also try to open branches in parts of Europe.
To the uninitiated observer, Prabhupāda’s visions of opening temples anywhere and everywhere without much previous planning or organization may seem utopian. But his plans and activities were simply based on absolute faith in the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He was determined to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. He had incorporated his Society of devotees as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, not as the American Society for Krishna Consciousness. Knowing that he was trying to fulfill the desire of the Supreme Lord and that everything ultimately depended on Him, Prabhupāda wrote to Rāyarāma on December 14: We may all go together to London and start a branch there in grand scale, so also in Amsterdam and in Berlin or Moscow. We have to save the world people from the misconception of voidism and impersonalism. “The absolute is sentient Thou hast proved, all impersonal calamity Thou hast removed.” These lines were presented by me to my spiritual master, and he was highly pleased with me. Let me follow the same principle and my Guru Mahārāja will bless me.
One week later, Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged Brahmānanda: In Europe, wherever you go, you must arrange for opening a center. May Kṛṣṇa give you more and more strength, my dear child. I am poor, but Kṛṣṇa is very rich. I can simply pray to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is very great and magnanimous; He can do everything for you and for us all.
Full of enthusiasm for preaching, Prabhupāda sent him another letter five days later: We should not only publish in English but also in other important languages such as French and German. I have also noted down your program for European tour. I am very glad that you are preparing the groundwork for starting our centers in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. It may be that we can add another in Tokyo. Yes, we must have hundreds of such branches for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Upon arriving in San Francisco in December, Prabhupāda revealed to the devotees another vision he had always cherished, namely to form a saṅkīrtana party of a dozen or so expert devotee musicians and travel with them all over the world. Again he wrote to Brahmānanda: I am very much ambitious for leading a kirtana party, especially all over your country and Europe. Hansadutta is trying to organize this party. If you can move with this kirtana party, say a batch of 12 to 15 heads, all over the States, as well as Europe, I am sure we will be more popular than the so-called yogi Maharishi Mahesh.
This was not a new idea. Before coming to the West, Śrīla Prabhupāda visited a vaiṣṇava friend in Bombay named Harikrishnadas Agarwal. This friend had expressed his desire to help organize a saṅkīrtana party. Because Prabhupāda had recently received an appreciative letter from Harikrishnadas, he reminded him of their past plans and indicated that now the time had come to combine efforts:: I think a very nice Sankirtana party can be organized to travel all over the world. I have tested it definitely that melodious vibration of Sankirtana, if performed by serious devotees, can attract people on the very spiritual platform, and it at once makes the spiritual background very smooth; then the spiritual instruction from the Bhagavad-gita can be implemented very nicely. So my first concrete program is that if you agree to organize such a Sankirtana party, a batch of American students may join, and I can combine these American and Indian devotees together under discipline. The American boys are being trained up strictly on spiritual line, which I have already explained to you in my last letter. Similarly, the Indian boys or girls must be spiritually trained; it is only by spiritually trained persons that the vibration can implement spiritual seeds in the heart of the audience, not otherwise. So, if you agree to cooperate with me in this direction, then I wish to go with a batch of American students to your care and stay in Bombay for some time, and try to open a branch in Bombay of our society. Here we have got six temples already, and they are nicely being managed by the American Vaisnavas under strict discipline, without their being born in any Hindu family.
I have begun this movement in this country America, and I think I am successful. I have many hundreds of Krishna Bhaktas in this country, and they are increasing in number daily. And why not in India and in Pakistan? We are trying to get admission in the U.N. as non-governmental organization. And when successful, we shall introduce this cultural movement in all countries, including Russia and China.
GOVINDA DĀSĪ: Prabhupāda was often spinning a globe around, and he would say “Brahmānanda will go here, Gargamuni will go there.” He would just be turning the globe and pointing at all the different countries. It was amazing because after all, here we were, a handful of teenagers, unable even to brush our teeth properly, but Prabhupāda had it all planned out in his mind—that he would send us all over the world and open temples in all kinds of places.
And he was extremely interested in Russia. He always talked about Russia and how Russia should receive the mercy of Lord Caitanya. *** By mid-May of 1968, Hansadutta informed Prabhupāda of difficulties in organizing the kīrtana party in Montreal, where he was in charge of the temple, and Prabhupāda suggested the alternative—that he go to Germany and open a center there, an idea he repeated a few weeks later in a letter to Śyāmasundara: Krishna wants me traveling throughout the whole Western part of the world, and therefore I think it is Krishna’s desire that now I shall shift my activities, at least for some time, to the European countries. As far as I remember, you know German as well as Dutch, so after we have started our London branch, you shall have to go to Germany, and I think Hansadutta can help you there, because he also knows some broken German.
At the same time, Prabhupāda continued meditating on how to convert his dream of a World Saṅkīrtana Party into reality, and thus he wrote to Mukunda a couple of weeks later: I wish to form a nice Kirtana party, consisting of 12 heads: 2 mridanga players, 1 harmonium player for melody, 1 tambura player, and at least 6 cymbal players. In this way 12 heads shall perform Kirtana very rhythmically and melodiously. The harmonium should be practiced just to follow the song; not simply for tuning. I think you can very well organize this Sankirtana party, and if we have a successful Sankirtana party, with me, backed by our books and literature, we can make a nice propaganda of this sublime movement in all the European cities.
And if we are successful in Europe, then we may go to other countries also in Asia. In India also, if we go with this Sankirtana party, we shall be very much welcome and there is great possibility of cooperation of the richer section of India. So, I am thinking of organizing this nice Sankirtana party very seriously, and you may also think in that way.”
Prabhupāda wrote this letter from Montreal, where he had gone in early June. He would stay there for three months and carefully plan how to introduce Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Europe, as he had indicated in an earlier letter: I shall remain in Montreal for June and July, then we shall go to England and possibly from England, we may go to Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, etc. Now, man proposes, God disposes. I do not know what is Krishna’s desire, but I have chalked out my program like this. Pray to Krishna that He may give me strength to render some service to you and to the humanity at large.