Srila Prabhupadas Mood and Mission

By Janmastami dasa

In the early 70s, when Srila Prabhupada was arriving at

the New York airport, a reporter asked, Why have you
come to the West? I have come, Prabhupada replied, to
give you a brain. Your society, he continued, is headless.
Srila Prabhupadas bold words inevitably startled
newspaper readers throughout America.

These words may have been a factor, as well, in inducing you to read
more. This was our intention because we are convinced that ISKCONs
highest priority is to train its members to become the head of the social
body and we are hoping you will share this conviction and help make it
happen. During the upcoming Gaura Purnima Festival, the Mayapur
Institute is offering courses that empower devotees to become part of the
head of our ISKCON society and of society at large, and we would love to
have you experience the ecstasy of trying to fulfill Srila Prabhupadas
heartfelt desire:

Just as all parts of the body cooperate to keep the body fit, in the ideal
state all sections of society cooperate under the leadership of the
brhmaas . . . . At present this Krsnaconsciousness movement is training
brahmaas. If the administrators take our advice and conduct the state in
a Krsna conscious way, there will be an ideal society throughout the
world. -Srila Prabhupada
Beyond Illusion &
Doubt

You may be thinking, Our movement is so small, how can we

possibly have such influence, and how can I possibly be part
of such influential dealings? Please consider, however, the
following potent excerpt from the Introduction to the Nectar
of Devotion:
The author of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami,
very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread
Krsnaconsciousness all over the world, although he humbly
thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude
of all preachers of the Krsna consciousness movement,
following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami. We should
never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should
always consider that we are simply instrumental to the
previous acaryas, and simply by following in their footsteps we may be
able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity.

We already have practical examples of amazing results from projects

placing education and training as the highest priority. . . . ISKCON
Chowpatty and ISKCON Pune have thousands of very high level university
students from all over India chanting 16 rounds and wanting to move into
the asramas!!!

When Srila Prabhupada incorporated ISKCONs first

temple in New York, he very clearly enunciated the
purposes he envisioned for ISKCON:

1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge

to society at large and to educate all peoples in the
techniques of spiritual life in order to check the
imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity
and peace in the world.

2. To propagate a consciousness of Krsna, as it is

revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-
Bhagavatam.

3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and
nearer to Krsna, the prime entity, and thus to develop the idea within the
members and humanity at large that each soul is part and parcel of the
quality of Godhead (Krsna).

4. To teach and encourage the sakrtana movement, congregational

chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

5. To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of
transcendental pastimes dedicated to the Personality of Krsna.

6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a

simpler and more natural way of life.

7. With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish

and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
After reading these seven purposes, I am sure you have come to the
same conclusion as we have Srila Prabhupada wanted ISKCON to be an
educational institution!!!

Being cultured, educated, very active and religious means developing natural love for
Krsna. (Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya-lila 3.44) Everyone has dormant love for Krsna, and by
culture and education that has to be awakened. That is the purpose of this Krsna
consciousness movement. Once Lord Caitanya asked Sri Ramananda Raya what the best part
of education was, and Ramananda Raya replied that the best part of education is
advancement in Krsna consciousness. (SB 4.29.50 purport)
 During your pilgrimage to Sridhama
Mayapur, please join us in our humble
attempts to fulfill Srila Prabhupadas
vision of providing powerful
brahminical leadership to this
worlds misdirected civilization.
Please enroll in one or several of
the Mayapur Institutes Gaura
Purnima Courses and allow us to
serve your devotional service:
Feb 22 - Mar 1 VTE Teacher Training Course 2* Atul Krishna Dasa
Bala Govinda Dasa
Vamsi Vadana
Dasa
Feb 24 Gaura Purnima Festival Begins
Feb 24 - 27 Armed with Yoga (& Camera), . . . Vasudeva
Dasa
Stand and Film
Feb 24 27 VTE ISKCON Communications** Anuttama Dasa

Feb 24 - 27 Varnasrama Mission - Bhakti Raghava

Swami
Make Vrndavana Villages*** Bhakti Dhira Damodara
Swami
Samba Dasa
Varnasrama Research
Team
Feb 24 Mar 4 Yoga Therapy: Prananatha Dasa
Be Fit to Serve Krishna Better*** Padmamalini Devi
Dasi
Feb 24-27 Cultural Programs
Panchatattva Abhisheka of the Holy Name
Sponsored Sat-sanga Seminars
(No Service Charges)
Feb 25 Sri Panca-tattva Maha-Abhiseka
(5th Installation Anniversary)
Feb 28 - Mar 6 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama

Mar 5 - 7 Mayapur Institute Bhakti-sastri Atul Krishna

Dasa
Teacher Training Course Bala Govinda Dasa
Vamsi Vadana
Dasa
Mar 6 - 10 Festivities and Cultural Programs
Mar 7-10 Ayurvedic Self-healing One Dr. Liladhar
Gupta
Mar 11 Gaura Purnima
* Feb 25 & 26 will be a day off for this course.
** No Classes on Feb 25th morning, due to Sri Panca-tattva Maha-Abhiseka.
*** No Classes on Feb 25th morning, due to Sri Panca-tattva Maha-Abhiseka
and no service charges, but the Mayapur Institute encourages students to
give facilitators daksina.

Please visit http://www.mihet.org or http://www.mayapur.com for details