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About the Author
by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda
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About the Author Introduction Praṇāmas by the Author In Search of the Ultimate Goal of Life Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlā-smaraṇa-maṅgala Stotram
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda was a rasikācārya, an expert in relishing the mellows of pure devotion as taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Such capacity to relish hearing and chanting about Godhead’s transcendental name, form, attributes, and pastimes is uncommon. The great Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.14.5) informs us:
muktānām api siddhānāṁ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ sudurlabaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune
Out of thousands of perfected souls, it is very rare to find one that is a pure devotee of God.
Perfection, or self-realisation, is indeed a noteworthy accomplishment, yet it pales in comparison to unalloyed devotion. One need not fully surrender to God to achieve liberation from the flawed existence of material life. Any number of techniques may be employed in this attempt, but absolute humility of heart is not a requirement. Pure devotion, on the other hand, acknowledges no technique, while humility and absolute surrender are the stage on which the drama of divine love is eternally performed. His Divine Grace had such humility, such surrender, although he was, at the same time, often very demanding, insisting on a high standard from his disciples. Yet his assertiveness was all on behalf of Godhead and therefore justified. His assertiveness was an example of the dynamic face of humility, not an abstract, sterile humility, but the concrete and productive humility of doing God’s bidding.
Śrīla Prabhupāda came to America in 1965 as ‘an aggressor.’ Aggression against illusion is the highest service to humanity. The cost of this war is absolute humility, for souls in this world are often less than thankful, unaware as they are of their own self-interest. The reward, however, is great. It is the dignity of the soul. This was the work of His Divine Grace – to bring dignity to all souls, and he did so with all of the humility at his command. It has been said that what Mohammed did with the sword, what Christianity did with wealth, he did with a humble heart – inundating the entire planet with love of God. The day will come when all men, women, and children from all races, countries, and creeds sing his praise.
For twelve years, beginning in 1965 until he disappeared from mortal vision in 1977, His Divine Grace circled the globe transplanting what was thought by many to be an Indian religion onto foreign soil. He demonstrated practically that Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism is not a product of a particular culture, but the dharma of the soul. He took the living conception of what he called Kṛṣṇa consciousness and extended its life beyond what the greatest Gauḍīya thinkers and practitioners of the time imagined was even remotely possible. Deep realization lies within the ability to adapt the spiritual reality to diverse material circumstances, making it accessible to one and all. This is the work of an ācārya, who teaches both by precept and example. The ācārya is not frozen in time. He is melted in love of Godhead, and flows without restriction to anyone and everyone who shows even the slightest interest in pure devotion. This was the work of His Divine Grace. He left a legacy of love, not law, for any and all of his immediate followers to embrace and continue. He gave to all, and looked for one – one who could actually understand his message.
Who was His Divine Grace? Founder-ācārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, father, friend, and śaktyāveśa-avatāra (an empowered incarnation of a particular potency of God). nityānanda-āveśa, the empowerment of Śrīpāda Nityānanda Prabhu, the Lord Himself in His most merciful disposition, can only describe what we could see of Him with the outer eye attuned to the spiritual mind. The inner truth of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s eternal form and personality will forever remain concealed to those who fail to embrace not merely the form, but the substance of all that he taught and all that he exemplified. The darśana (spiritual revelation) of his inner identity is his prerogative. May His Divine Grace mercifully bestow that most precious vision upon all who read this book.
Swami B.V. Tripurāri
Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda appeared in Kolkata in 1896, and after a successful education and engagment in business, he met his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in 1922. He formally took initiation from Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in 1933 and later accepted sannyāsa in 1959. Upon the order of his guru, he began writing philosophical essays and books in English and eventually travelled to the United States where he began the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1966. After establishing over 100 temples, initiating over 5000 disciples and writing sixty books on Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava teachings, he passed away in Vṛndāvana in 1977.
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