la historia del bhaktivedanta institute

8/14/2019 La Historia Del Bhaktivedanta Institute

1/22

RLA PRABHUPDA'S VISION

FOR THE

BHAKTIVEDANTA INSTITUTE

By

rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodara Maharja


2/22

rla Prabhupda, my lord and master,

Kindly give me shelter at your lotus feet.

The influence of the modes of nature

Only your divine mercy can cleanse.

Fortunate are those whose hearts were

Touched by your gentle glance.

Krsndsa Kavirja sings of your glories:

"Guru krsna-rpa hana sstrera pramne

Guru-rpa krsna krpkarena bhakta-gane."

The revealed scritures enunciate

The spiritual master to be nondifferent from Krsna;

Krsna in spiritual master's form

Showers blessings upon the devotees.

Gurudeva, I have nothing to offer, but beg

Please bless me, that I may sing

Your glories birth after birth.

Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar

"ISKCON is a spiritual society in which every person in this planet regardless of

religion, community, nationality and so on, can participate. It is a universalplatform wherein people are to be educated in the science of the soul, consciousness

and life's mission. For the first time in the cultural and spiritual history of the world,

everyone can be united under the banner of ISKCON. This is the greatest gift given

by a saintly person in the twentieth century for the well being of everyone on this

planet."

Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar


3/22

rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodaradeva Goswm


4/22

rla A. C. Bhaktivednta SwmPrabhpda


5/22

rla Bhaktisiddhnta SarasvatGoswmThakura


6/22

rCaitanya Mahprabhu

rPacha-tattva


7/22

rrRdha Krsnachandra

Manimandir


8/22

All Glories to rGuru and rGaurnga

FOREWARD

rla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda established the Bhaktivedanta

Institute under the direction of rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodara Maharja. In the physicalabsence of Maharja's direction, what must our responsibility be?

First we must realize that rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar Maharja is irreplaceable.He was specifically empowered by rla Prabhupda to preach Krsna consciousness tothe scientific community. He was also uniquely qualified to fulfill that role as he wasborn and raised in a Vaisnava family, and possessed all the good qualities of a genuineVaisnava, and he had earned an advanced degree in science (Ph.D. from the University ofCalifornia at Irvine in Organic Chemistry).

On the back cover of the book dedicated to him, calledBhagavat Sevarpanam, is

given the most significant message of how a genuine disciple remains in perpetualcontact with his Spiritual Master throughout his life. There, with the faithful disciplesitting at the bedside of rla Prabhupda, it is written, "The Spiritual Master lives foreverby his divine instructions and the follower lives with him..."

On the first page of this essay, rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodara Maharja beginswith the same mood: "The disciples live eternally with the divine instructions of thespiritual master. Those divine instructions are our constant guide and strength." This isreally the sum and substance of Maharja's life.

In a letter dated May 3, 1968, rla Prabhupda writes, "Please be happy in

separation. I am separated from my Guru Maharja since 1936 but I am always with himso long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfyingLord Krishna and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendentalbliss." And on June 22, 1970 he writes to his disciple, "So far I am concerned, I do notfactually feel any separation from my Spiritual Master because I am trying to serve Himaccording to His desire." This was the firm conviction of rla Prabhupda throughouthis life.

There are a handful of instructions from rla Prabhupda that are not mentionedin rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodara's essay, and which are included here.

In a letter to Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar Maharja on September 30, 1975 rlaPrabhupda explains what the Bhaktivedanta Institue is:

"The Institute will be primarily for those who have not entered our temples. Thesubject matter will not be different from what is taught in our temples. There will be nodifference between our temples and the Institute, but the Institute will be official for thegeneral mass. It will be a formal education and they will get degree. It will be open foreveryone, including those who have already entered our temples, they may alsoparticipate. But, the subject matter should not be different from what is in the temples."


9/22

Then on Jan 10, 1976 rla Prabhupda gives the following more specificdirective to Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar Maharja,

"I have read the aims and objects of the Institute and it is done very nicely. I amsatisfied that you are properly understanding the philosophy.

I have also suggested for the GBC's consideration, that we introduce a system ofexaminations for the devotees to take. Sometimes there is criticism that our men are notsufficiently learned, especially the brhmanas. Of course second initiation does notdepend upon passing an examination. How one has molded his lifechanting, attendingarati, etc., these are essential. Still, brhmanameanspandita. Therefore I am suggestingexaminations.Bhakti-str(for all brhmanas) based onBhagavad-gt, rIopanisad,Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, and all the small paper backs.Bhakti-vaibhvathe above plus first six cantos of rmad-Bhgavatam.Bhakti-vedntathe above plus cantos 7-12 S.B.Bhakti-srvabhaumathe above plusCaitanya-caritamrta.

These titles can correspond to entrance, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. So just consider how toorganize this Institute. "

Further, on January 29, 1976 in a letter to Svarpa Dmodar rla Prabhupdawrites,

"In the tentative course outlines some additions are as follows. In the philosophysection there should be a class dealing with all the Vaisnava philosophies (the foursampradayas). Music class can be based on the Sama Veda. In the Political Science classMaharja Prthu's life may also be studied."

Generally, rla Prabhupda is stating that all branches of knowledge may bestudied strictly in the context of Krsna consciousness, within a Vaisnava University,taking authority from the rmad-Bhgavatam1.5.22,

idam hi pumsas tapasahrutasya vsvistasya sktasya ca buddhi-dattayoh

avicyuto 'rthahkavibhir nirpitoyad-uttamaloka-gunnuvarnanam

"Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the

advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting ofhymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who isdefined in choice poetry."

Then on September 8, 1974 rla Prabhupda writes to Svarpa Dmodar, "Youare one of the strong pillars of the mission. So I have all confidence in you. Followstrictly all our rules and regulations. Be fully strong to push on this cult amongst theeducated scientific circle."

Finally, once again stressing the great importance of the Institute in a letter to


10/22

Armarendra Prabhu dated April 2, 1977, rla Prabhupda writes,

"You may be knowing that we have formed one party of scientists under theleadership of rman Svarpa Dmodara prabhu. Also we have formed the BhaktivedantaInstitute for organizing scientific presentations of Krishna Consciousness. This party is

our most important preaching arm with which we will be able to destroy the bogusspeculation and cheating which goes under the banner of scientific advancement.Therefore I have got great hope for Svarpa Dmodara and his colleagues. I want them totravel vigorously throughout the world to lecture in all universities and other institutions.There is no lack of financial resources and we shall spare nothing to see to this party'ssuccess."

The first aphorism of rmad-Bhgavatamis, janmdy asya yato 'nvayd itaratacrthesv abhijahsvart. "I meditate upon Lord rKrsnabecause He is the AbsoluteTruth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction ofthe manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations,

and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him." The purpose of theBhaktivedanta Institute is to present this fundamental teaching of rmad-Bhgavatamina scientific way, as "Life comes from Life." Thus the message of BhaktivedantaInstitute is non-different from that of theBhagavat Puranaand Vedanta-sutra.

In 1977, after the completion of the Mumbai Temple in Juhu, when rlaPrabhupda's manifest pastimes were coming to an end, he turned to Svarpa DmodarMaharja and said, "The next phase is yours. You must establish our movement as agenuine scientific movement." (p.15) rla Prabhupda established Krsna consciousnessthroughout the world, and now he wanted it to be accepted scientifically in the highestacademic circles so that the whole world would understand that Krsna consciousness is

not simply religious sentiment but the authentic ontological Truth of Reality.

rpad Maharja sacrificed his life in carrying out this order of rla Prabhupda,and met with so much success that the enemies of truth felt threatened that he would takefrom them the illusions that they so eagerly cherished. rCaitanya Mahprabhu becameas enraged as Lord Nisringhadeva when Nitynanda Prabhu was attacked by Jagai andMadhai, but Lord Nitynanda magnanimously reminded Mahprabhu that his mission inKali Yuga was not to kill the demons but to mercifully save them, for all are fallen in thisage. The followers of rla Prabhupda and rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar Maharja aremany, and although, by the Will of Krsna, rla Bhaktisvarpa Dmodar Maharja hasbeen withdrawn to his eternal pastimes, there is an army of his followers willing to

sacrifice their lives to carry on his mission in this world. With the blessings of all theVaisnavas, in a spirit of unified and firm resolve and dedication, we pray that those whoare willing and able to take up the service of Bhaktivedanta Institute may becomeglorious in fulfilling the desires of rla Prabhupda and rla rpada.

The Editors

October 11, 2006

Previously issued:

August 1988, Eds. H.H. Robinson, Hanumatpresaka Swami


11/22

om ajana-timirndhasya jnjana-alkay

caksur unmlitam yena tasmair-gurave namah

nama om visnu pdya krsna presthya bh-tale

rmate bhaktivednta svmin iti nmine

nama te srasvate devam gaura vnpracrine

nirviesanyavdi pctya dea trine

All glories to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda! Thedisciples live eternally with the divine instructions of the spiritual master. Those divineinstructions are our constant guide and strength.

In 1974, during the month of August, I spent two weeks in Vrndvana with HisDivine Grace rla Prabhupda. At that time he was constantly speaking about expandingthe ISKCON preaching projects, especially in the academic world. One day Prabhupdacalled me to his room. Alone in the room with me, he showed me three or four magazinesproduced by the Vaisnava Oriental Research Institute. rla Prabhupdas God-brotherBon Maharja established this institute, which is just across from the Krsna-BalarmaMandira in Vrndvana, many years ago. rla Prabhupda asked me whether I thought wecould also establish a Vaisnava Research Institute to preach Krsna consciousness amongthe intellectuals all over the world.

I replied, "rla Prabhupda, your plans and desires are perfect. It will be highlyessential to establish such an institute as we expand our movement."

Then rla Prabhupda said, "You be the director of this project.""rla Prabhupda. I have no experience--I have no knowledge to run such a

project. I am completely unqualified."

"I'll give you all the instructions," said rla Prabhupda. "You simply followthem."

Thus rla Prabhupda's original plan was to establish the Bhaktivedanta Institutein Vrndvana, the holy Dham.

He requested Bon Maharja to hand over the Vaisnava Oriental Research Instituteto us, and this was quite reasonable, since under Bon Maharja's direction the Institute's

activities were going very slowly. rla Prabhupda also had plans to start a goalla(cow- protection facility) on Bon Maharja's spacious tract of land and run it side-by-sidewith the institute's programs.

One day rla Prabhupda made an appointment with Bon Maharja to discussthese plans. At the scheduled time rla Prabhupda took Brahmnanda Maharja,Jagada Prabhu, and myself to see Bon Maharja at his institute. At Prabhupda'srequest I brought along the little book I had written, called The Scientific Basis ofKrsnaConsciousness,and also my Ph. D. Thesis, which I had dedicated to His Divine Gracerla Prabhupda. When we met Bon Maharja, rla Prabhupda showed him mywritings and said. "These books were written by my disciple."


12/22

In this way, rla Prabhupda kindly introduced me to Bon Maharja and thenbegan outlining a scientific Vaisnava research institute that we could all organizetogether--including Bon Maharjato preach Krsna consciousness in the academicworld. Bon Maharja was very impressed with rla Prabhupda's ideas, and heexpressed his willingness to help in the projectbut he wanted to wait for some time

before committing himself and his institute property. Bon Maharja then gave us a tour ofhis institute: he showed us where the libraries were, where the classrooms were, and soon. rla Prabhupda. Brahmnanda Maharja. Jagada prabhu and myself then returnedto Krsna-Balarma Mandira, full of hope that a settlement would come quickly so that wecould start the new institute as soon as possible.

Shortly thereafter I left for the United States. Now whatever letters I received fromrla Prabhupda always contained plans for the institute project and instructions on howI should begin the academic preaching programs.

rla Prabhupda visited the Atlanta Temple at the end of February 1975, and atthat time he again reminded me of the institute project. He said he was still negotiatingwith Bon Maharja so that we could start the institute in Vrndvana. But just after that,

when Prabhupda was in New Orleans, Brahmnanda Maharja called me to convey amessage from Prabhupda. The message was that the negotiations with Bon Maharjawere not going well, and the hope for starting the institute in Vrndvana did not seemvery bright. rla Prabhupda instructed me to begin thinking of someplace in the UnitedStates where we could start the institute.

On August 31, 1975. rla Prabhupda confirmed this message by writing me asfollows: "The negotiations with Bon Maharja are not very feasible. They are tooencumbrous. So, if possible, you should start the institute in the USA. In the meantimerequest all the GBC's to send me a list of all our disciples who have an M.A. , B. A., orPh.D. degree."

So the institute would be in the U. S. However, since I was still working at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, at that time I could not do anything concrete toward starting theinstitute, although I did talk with Rpanga prabhu about Prabhupda's plans and desiresfor the project. Rpanga prabhu was most interested, and he immediately invited all ourmembers (Mdhava prabhu, Sdapta prabhu, Ravindra Swarpa prabhu, and myself) fora meeting on his farm, which was in Virginia at that time. We decided that during thecoming Mayapura Festival we should get some solid guidelines about the institute projectfrom His Divine Grace rla Prabhupda and the GBC body.

Unfortunately, as it turned out I could not go to the Mayapura Festival that year,because I was struggling with my visa and could not leave the United States. So theMayapura Festival came and went, with little progress on our project.

Then, in July 1976, Prabhupda came to the Washington Temple, and Sdaptaprabhu, Mdhava prabhu. Bhakta Hans Bickel (an economist who works for the FederalGovernment). Rpanga prabhu, and myself all went there to have his darana.Fornearly a week Prabhupda constantly instructed us about preaching among the scientistsand scholars, and about how to organize the Bhaktivedanta Institute. At that timePrabhupda specifically instructed us to build a model of the universe that could later bebuilt full-size at the future Mayapura Temple and Planetarium complex.

Later that year I got my permanent visa, and I began planning to leave EmoryUniversity once and for all and start the Bhaktivedanta Institute, as rla Prabhupda hadso mercifully instructed me. In December of 1976 Rpnnga prabhu hosted theorganizational meeting of the Institute at the Washington Temple.


13/22

In January I left the U. S. to see rla Prabhupda at Bhuvanesvara, a city not farfrom Jaganntha Prthat is the capital of Orissa. At 8:30 p. m. on January 31 I arrived atthe little hut where rla Prabhupda was staying. He called me in immediately andstarted speaking about the preaching program among the scientists and scholars aroundthe world. rla Prabhupda's heart was full of love for the disciples present there, and

full of enthusiasm for preaching to the scholars. He said to me, "Don't worry aboutexpenses; I'll give you everything. Just go and preach. "On February 3 rla Prabhupda laid the foundation stone for the Bhuvanesvara

Temple. On this day His Divine Grace kindly instructed me to give a lecture on scienceand Krsna consciousness before the invited scholars and other guests.

That night rla Prabhupda left Bhuvanesvara with his servants, and I followed alittle later in another car. I arrived in Calcutta on the morning of February 5, and thatevening all the devotees gathered around rla Prabhupda in his room at the CalcuttaTemple. Once again he instructed me extensively about the academic preaching project.Among many other things, rla Prabhupda said, "Your dress must command respect.You should dress like a scientist-- in suit and tie--for preaching."

After that I took leave of rla Prabhupda and went to Manipura. Then, towardthe end of March 1977, I attended a bigpandalaprogram in Bombay that had beenorganized by Gopla Krsna prabhu and Girirja Maharja. The subject was "ModernCivilization Is a Failure: Krsna Consciousness Is the Only Solution. " rla Prabhupdawas there, and many prominent guests and speakers were invited. On March 26, in thepresence of His Divine Grace rla Prabhupda and about three thousand guests, I pre-sented a talk and slide show on the science of Krsna consciousness.

At that time our Bombay guesthouse was not yet ready, so His Divine Grace rlaPrabhupda was staying at Mr. Mahadevia's home. Mr Mahadevia is one of our importantlife members in Bombay. He served rla Prabhupda in many ways and rlaPrabhupda very much appreciated his sincere service.

On the morning of March 27, rla Prabhupda called for me to come to Mr.Mahadevia's home, and I arrived there at 10 o'clock. Tamla-Krsna Maharja,Bhavnanda Maharja, rdhara Maharja, Acytnanda Maharja, and Nava-yogendraMaharja were there, and in their presence rla Prabhupda said to me, "Thank you verymuch for the nice lecture you gave yesterday. It was very scientific." His Divine Gracewas so appreciative of this very little, insignificant service. He continued, "If necessary,make the whole new Bombay building Bhaktivedanta Institute. We will construct anotherbuilding. Bhaktivedanta Institute has the greatest responsibility for enhancing the prestigeof ISKCON. Invite scholars and students to the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Give them a niceplace to sit, offer them niceprasdam,and preach to them very nicely. It is for this that Itrained you on the morning walks at Venice Beach in Los Angeles. That is why I tookyou every morning at that time. Take good care of your health. "

In a few days rla Prabhupda's quarters in the Bombay guesthouse were ready,and he prepared to move there from Mr. Mahadevia's house. On the morning rlaPrabhupda was scheduled to arrive, I was in the Bombay Temple. We all heard that hewas coming, but we didn't know the exact time he would be arriving. Of course, everyonewas preparing to receive rla Prabhupda, but all of a sudden he appeared--and therehadn't been enough preparation. There weren't enough devotees to receive him nicely,and to top it all off the elevator broke down. Everyone was at a loss what to do.Prabhupda was very angry and he chastised all the devotees. We were all completelysilent; we didn't know what to say. We quickly arranged for a palanquin and carried him


14/22

up to his quarters on the fifth floor.

When Prabhupda entered his rooms, his eyes were full of love for all thedevotees. He smiled broadly as he inspected the walls, the doors, the windows, the lamps,etc. He was very pleased with all the arrangements in his quarters. Then he sat down, andall of us--there were about fifteen devotees-gathered around him. rla Prabhupda

started speaking very softly and very lovingly: "Thank you very much. You have givenyour life--everything--to me. I am eternally indebted to all of you." All of us were silent.Then he turned to me and said, "The next phase is yours. You must establish ourmovement as a genuine scientific movement. You must preach to all the scholars andscientists very vigorously." rla Prabhupda then asked me how much money I wouldneed per month for the institute. '"I am ready to spend any amount of money for yourpreaching," he said.

I answered. "rla Prabhupda, I don't have any experience in running such anorganization. I am very ignorant about these matters. I think Tamla-Krsna Maharja willbe able to give you a more accurate estimate, since he is more experienced."

Then rla Prabhupda turned to Tamla-Krsna Maharja and asked his opinion.Tamla-Krsna Maharja replied, "About $10,000 per month."

Prabhupda said. "Yes. I'll give you $10.000 per month--or more, if you needmore. "

Then Gopla Krsna prabhu asked. "Prabhupda, where will the money comefrom? "

Prabhupda replied, "From the BBT in Los Angeles." rla Prabhupda theninstructed Tamla-Krsna Maharja to make arrangements with Rmesvara Maharjaimmediately. Prabhupda said, "We should set aside a minimum of $10,000 per month.This money should not be touched for any purpose except the preaching work of theBhaktivedanta Institute." rla Prabhupda then turned to me, "I am ready to give you

whatever money and manpower you need to assist you in this work. Do not worry aboutmoney. As a result of this promise, His Divine Grace rla Prabhupda wrote the lettersto Rmevara Maharja and Dravida prabhu. excerpts of which are quoted below:

* * *

Hare Krishna LandJuhu RoadJuhu. Bombay 400 054. India2 April. 1977

My dear Rameswar,Please accept my blessings.

Now we are forming a scientists' party, and we shall try with their help to establish Krishna con-sciousness as the genuine scientific movement of the world by exposing the so-called scientists asnothing but speculators. Swarpa Dmodar has received very good response here in India fromthe scientific community, and there is good hope that many others will join him. He is returningto America for preparing some publications, and when these are completed I have asked him totour vigorously throughout the world, lecturing with his other colleagues at all major institutionsand universities. He has drawn up a budget of immediate needs, a copy of which is enclosed, andI immediately sanction this amount. Whatever expenditure he requires, supply him immediatelyfrom the BBT. I am prepared to give $10, 000 or more monthly, if required, to finance this most


15/22

important preaching program. So whatever money Swarpa Dmodar needs must be suppliedmonthly, and he will send you accounts. ...

Swarpa Dmodar has requested that Dravida ds may come and help him with editing work.The scientists are publishing some booklets to be completed by their return here on Janmastami.If possible, please arrange for Dravida ds to join them.

Hoping this meets you well.Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/tkg

His Holiness Rameswar Swami ISKCON Los Angeles

* * *

Hare Krishna LandJuhu Road

Juhu. Bombay 400 054, India2 April. 1977

My dear Dravida das,

Please accept my blessings

You may be knowing that we have formed one party of scientists under the leadership of SrimanSwarpa Dmodar prabhu. Also, we have formed the Bhaktivedanta Institute for organizingscientific presentations of Krishna consciousness. This party is our most important preachingarm, with which we will be able to destroy the bogus speculation and cheating which goes underthe banner of scientific advancement. Therefore I have got great hope for Swarpa Dmodar andhis colleagues. I want them to travel vigorously throughout the world to lecture in all universitiesand other institutions. There is no lack of financial resources, and we shall spare nothing to see tothis party's success.

His party already consists of Mdhava prabhu, Sadpta prabhu, Ravindra Swarpa prabhu, andhimself, and he has approached me that he would like you to help with the editing work, as theyare publishing scientific papers. In consultation with Rameswara Maharja, try to have whateverwork you are doing assumed by others so that you can free yourself for working with SwarpaDmodar. You may contact Swarpa Dmodar, who is returning to America, for more details.

Hoping this meets you well.

Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/tkg

Sriman Dravida das

ISKCON Los Angeles

* * *

Shortly after the gathering in rla Prabhupda's quarters at the Bombay Temple, Ileft for the United States to publish our monographs, which were then being prepared.But suddenly His Divine Grace called all the GBC members to Vrndvana because hishealth had taken a turn for the worse.

I arrived in Vrndvana on May 25 at 4:30 p.m., and when I showed rlaPrabhupda the manuscripts of the three monographs, he was extremely pleased. I was atrla Prabhupda's bedside from 7:30 p.m. until 12:00 midnight, and during that time hespoke many times about defeating the scientists. Indeed, his heart was full of desires todefeat the material scientists. Occasionally he instructed the devotees about the duty ofbrahmacrsquoting from Narada Muni's instructions in the rmad-Bhgavatam. He


16/22

said the brahmacrsshould follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni. rla Prabhupdaalso spoke about life within the atom and about our farm projects--especially our farmproject in Hyderabad. He was very concerned about our farm project in Hyderabad; hewanted to make it very successful. rla Prabhupda mentioned how during Krsna's timethe land of Vrndvana was wet with milk because of sankirtana-yaja.Prabhupda said,

"We should make our farm projects like Krsna's Vrndvana. Then we can show them tothe whole world, and people will be happy."

I attended His Divine Grace every day, and he almost always spoke from rmad-Bhgavatamand about the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Thus, although rla Prabhupda'sphysical body seemed to be very weak, he was mentally very, very strong, and his heartwas full of enthusiasm to defeat the material scientists and transform the Godless society.He was advising me very strongly to make programs so that we could establish Krsnaconsciousness in scientific circles.

It was very clear that His Divine Grace rla Prabhupda was constantly thinkingabout the Bhaktivedanta Institute and how it would introduce Krsna consciousness intothe academic community. On June l, at 5:30 a. m., rla Prabhupda called me into the

washroom. He was rinsing his face and mouth and simultaneously chastising Bhakti CaruMaharja because he was pouring water on rla Prabhupda's hands too slowly. Thenrla Prabhupda turned to me and said, "You should establish a branch of theBhaktivedanta Institute here in Vrndvana. The guru-kla here will be more prestigious ifthe Institute is added. The name of the institution here in Vrndvana should be 'TheBhaktivedanta Gurukla and Institute for Higher Studies,' and you should be the directorof both."

Later that morning, in rla Prabhupda's room, he repeated the above in thepresence of Jagada prabhu. Then Dr. Sharma (the principal of our guru-kla). Jagadaprabhu and myself got together to decide what to do in light of rla Prabhupda's newinstructions. As a first step in establishing the institute in Vrndvana, we hit upon the ideaof holding a scientific conference there, and that evening I informed rla Prabhupda ofthe idea. He was very pleased. He said we should work very actively and enthusiastically."Personally," he said, "I never liked to be idle, and I do not want you to be idle. Makeprograms; always keep busy. Our mission is to take people out of darkness."

On June 2, at 6:00 a. m., rla Prabhupda continued his instructions to me, "Youhave everything--books, money, menso show that our movement is scientific. Make amovie to show that there is a superior energy, and that withoutjva-bhtathis materialenergy has no value. Also, hold conferences in Bombay and in all the major cities aroundthe world. Do it! I've trained you for all this." On June 4, at 5:00 a. m., rla Prabhupdainstructed me, "Start a revolution. Hold conferences everywhere. Transform the Godlesssociety." Then Tamla-Krsna Maharja informed me. "rla Prabhupda has advisedRmevara Maharja to set aside at least $7000 to $8000 per month as the account foryour preaching program."

On June 5, at 3:00 a.m., rla Prabhupda called for me to come to the roof of theVrndvana guesthouse. When I arrived, I saw Prabhupda sitting, and atadhanyaMaharja was standing beside him, massaging his head. Prabhupda started instructingme about the Bhaktivedanta Institute: "The Bhaktivedanta Institute should be based onBhagavad-gt. We have to prove that for the solution to economic problems, agricultureand cow protection are the topmost programs--not industry. For all aspects of societyreligion, economics, politics, etc. --the foundation is theBhagavad-gt. That is a fact."

A few days later rla Prabhupda spoke about the Bhaktivedanta Institute hall


17/22


18/22

Tamla-Krsna Maharja later reminded me, "Prabhupda told me that you should begiven the best part of the building as your office. It should be impressive. Prabhupdawants a showcase."

At 8 o'clock in the evening rla Prabhupda again called me. "All religions of theworld," he said, "have some conception of God, but none of them has any idea about the

personal character of God. Write books and show that God is a person."Soon afterward I took leave of rla Prabhupda and left Vrndvana to catch a

train from Mathura to Bombay. I was heading for Boston. Since Prabhupda's health wasdeteriorating, and since he was instructing me almost every moment I was in Vrndvana,I was very reluctant to leave him at that time. However, I wanted to make a little humbleoffering in the form of the life-comes-from-life conference, and under the circumstances Iwas thinking the conference should be held as soon as possible. But to do that I had toprepare the monographs in Boston. Before I left, Tamla-Krsna Maharja suggested that Inot leave immediately, because Prabhupda had been instructing me so much. He said,"Prabhupda never speaks to anyone for as long as he speaks to you." He asked me toremain for some time. I told him, however, that if I stayed in Vrndvana, there would be

no conference. So he agreed that I should go to Boston to print the monographs and thenreturn to Vrndvana as soon as possible. Thus I left Vrndvana very reluctantly, planningto return well before the conference's October 14 starting date.

When I came back to the U. S., Sadpta prabhu. Mdhava prabhu, and myselfworked very hard in Boston to get all the monographs printed before the conference. Weworked very hard, day and night. I was hoping to return to India as soon as possible toarrange for the conference. And, of course, I wanted to see rla Prabhupda very badly.

Then, during August, Karandhara prabhu called for a meeting in Los Angeleson the First American Theistic Exhibit. Rmevara Swami, Jayatrtha Maharja, Sdaptaprabhu, Rpanga prabhu, Ravindra Swarpa prabhu, Nara-nryana prabhu, Baradrja

prabhu, Karandhara prabhu and myself were present. While the meeting was going on wegot a telephone call saying that rla Prabhupda was coming to the U. S. We wereshocked; we couldn't believe it. We learned that Prabhupda would be in England verysoon, and that he would stay there for a few weeks before coming to the U.S. All of uswere very concerned, and we immediately sent a telegramto Vrndvana requestingPrabhupda not to make this journey in his present condition. Rmevara Swami,Jayatrtha Maharja, Rpanga prabhu, and myself signed the telegram. However, withina few days we learned that rla Prabhupda was already at Bhaktivedanta Manor.

I had been planning to leave for India as soon as possible, but when I heard thatrla Prabhupda was at the Manor, I decided to stop there to see him on my way toVrndvana. I left Boston on September 9 and arrived in London at 8:30 a. m. on the 10th.

Jna dsa prabhu was waiting for me at London Airport, and we immediately wenttogether to see rla Prabhupda at the Manor.

When I saw rla Prabhupd, I noticed for the first time a great change in hisappearance. He looked very pale and very weak, and he remained almost silent when Ientered the room. I offered Prabhupda a big flower garland from the Boston devotees,and then he started slowly speaking to me in a low voice. He told me how to preach to thematerial scientists--how to defeat their philosophy. He said, "We do not condemn thematerial scientists for their work, but at least they should not neglect the existence of theSupreme Being, God, Krsna." Then Prabhupda's eyes filled with tears, and he did notspeak any longer.


19/22

At 8:30 the next morning--it was Sunday, September 11 rla Prabhupda calledme to his room. He spoke in Bengali: "mra jvanaesa hate ycche."[My life iscoming to an end]. I would like to spend the last few days in India, and I would like tosee the Bombay Temple. It will give me great encouragement. Arrange for itimmediately--call Tamla. " Then we all discussed the matter together, trying to make

some plans for Prabhupda to go back to India as soon as possible.I was glad, at least, that Prabhupda would go back to India. I left England that day at

5:40 p.m. to make arrangements for the Vrndvana conference, for I knew that Prabhupda wouldbe back in India in a few days. When I reached Vrndvana I saw that no preparations had beenmade for the conference. Before I left I had arranged for some preliminary arrangements to bemade, but somehow they had been neglected. I was very concerned, because there was very littletime before the conference. So I immediately started running all over Delhi and gra to invitescholars and scientists to the conference. By the mercy of rlaPrabhupda I was able to contactmore than one hundred scholars in a short time, and I invited them all to attend the conference.

The conference would last three daysFriday, Saturday, and Sunday, the 14th, 15thand16thof October. At this time all the GBC members also came to Vrndvana to be with rlaPrabhupda.

After Prabhupda returned to Vrndvana, he constantly expressed great concernabout the conference. Almost every day he asked about it--how many scholars werecoming, how the arrangements had been made, whether the hall was suitable for theguests, whether there were enough chairs and desks, whether the decorations werecomplete, and so on. Prabhupda also asked about the arrangements for theprasda, andhe specifically requested Krtannanda Maharja and Bhavnanda Maharja to help memake the conference a success.

By the mercy of rla Prabhupda we had finished the three monographs, and weoffered them to him before the conference began. He was very pleased with them. Then,on October 13, Prabhupda told me specifically, "Do something so that I can see the

results before my departure." So Prabhupda was actually preparing for his departure.However, I always felt that rla Prabhupda was going to recover soon and be activeagain.

Early in the morning on October 14--the initial day of the First International Life-Comes-From-Life Conference--I went to see rla Prabhupda. He told me, "I want tocome to your conference, but because of my health I cannot do so. So take this bust of meand put it on the desk in the conference room, and put a garland on it every day duringthe conference, and conduct the conference very nicely." His Divine Grace rlaPrabhupda is so enthusiastic about the conference that he called me three times thatmorning, at two-hour intervals, to inquire how everything was going.

At 6:00 in the evening, as soon as the first day of the conference was over, all the

members of the Bhaktivedanta Institute who were there in Vrndvana went to see rlaPrabhupda. Brahmtrtha prabhu, Sadpta prabhu, Mdhava prabhu, Jna dsaprabhu, Rpanga prabhu, and myself were present. Tamla-Krsna Maharja said to rlaPrabhupda, "Prabhupda, all the scientists are here. They're all dressed up in shirts andties." rla Prabhupda immediately opened his eyes wide, and he insisted that we all sitbefore him in chairs. He was full of love and appreciation for our little attempt to renderhim some service. He spoke very lovingly to all of us and then said, "You must all betired now. Go and take rest."

Early on the morning of the 17th, when the three-day conference had ended, rlaPrabhupda asked me about the overall effect of the event. He asked me how many


20/22

scientists had come and what their overall reaction had been. I answered, "Only fiftyscientists came; I was expecting more. Many more promised to come, but not everyonecame. Still, those few who came were very interested. They thought it was a very goodconference, because it opened up some dialogue about the real status of our presentunderstanding of the origin of life. So, it was a small beginning, and I would have been

happier if all the scientists had come."rla Prabhupda was quiet. Then he remarked, "It was a success. " Prabhupdawas always encouraging whatever we did. He was always appreciating our small effortsand trying to encourage us as much as possible. He further said, "In this way hold confer-ences everywhere and establish Krsna consciousness as a scientific movement."

Thus, in his last days in Vrndvana, rla Prabhupda spoke to me practicallyevery day about how to preach Krsna consciousness in the scientific community--how theBhaktivedanta Institute must become a very powerful means to spread Krsna con-sciousness among the scholars and intellectuals.

Fortunately. I was personally attending rla Prabhupda in his last days, andevery day, whenever I went to him, he spoke about science and Krsna consciousness.

Although his physical body was extremely weak, every time I entered his room he spoketo me: "Swarpa Dmodara, you must preach this Krsna consciousness in the scientificcommunity." It was very clear that this scientific preaching program was very, very dearto rla Prabhupda, and he wanted us, somehow or other, to make programs so that thistype of preaching would go on very vigorously. I was with rla Prabhupda practicallyall the time during those last days, except for a few hours when I took rest, and all thetime I was with him he would speak of the Bhaktivedanta Institute.

On October 27, at 8:00 in the evening. Gopla Krsna prabhu brought rlaPrabhupda a newspaper clipping about the scientific conference we had held. Theclipping was from the Statesman, one of the most important newspapers in India. Theheadline read, "The Non-physical View of the Origin of Species." I showed the clippingto rla Prabhupda, and he asked Tamla-Krsna Maharja to read it to him. When rlaPrabhupda heard the newspaper report, he was extremely pleased, and he remarked,"The Bhaktivedanta Institute is now recognized."

During the next few days, whenever any guests came to visit rla Prabhupda, hewould always ask someone to read the Statesmanarticle on the conference. On October30, rla Prabhupda's Godbrothers Ananda Brahmacrand Krsna-dsa Bbaji came tosee him at 11:00 a. m., and again rla Prabhupda asked someone to read the Statesmanreport. In this way, rla Prabhupda was always trying to encourage his disciples andalways appreciating the little service they were trying to render him. To AnandaBrahmacrand Krsna-dsa Bbaji, Prabhupda specifically mentioned how I had

dedicated my Ph.D. thesis to him. He also quoted the

lokafromrmad - Bh

gavatambeginning idam hi pumsas tapasahrutasya v. Prabhupda said that whatever

knowledge one may have, it becomes meaningful only if it is utilized properly in theservice of Krsna.

As rla Prabhupda's departure approached, we were all gathered around him dayand night, and every time he knew I was nearby, he would speak about science and Krsnaconsciousness. On November 6, at 9:00 a. m., rla Prabhupda specifically asked me,"What have you learned to preach?"

I responded. "rla Prabhupda, we have learned only how to repeat what youhave taught us. We are all part and parcel of Krsna, and our duty is to serve Him under all


21/22

circumstances."

rla Prabhupda nodded his approval....

This has been a narration of rla Prabhupda's visions, desires, and instructions

for preaching among the scientific class of people. From these instructions we deriveconstant guidance and strength to execute his orders. I humbly bow down to all myGodbrothers, praying that they bestow their blessings upon me so that we can all jointogether in fulfilling rla Prabhupda's vision in the spirit of unity and cooperation. Thiswill be the perfection of our lives.

*****

H. H. Bhakti Swarupa Dmodar Maharja first wrote this essay around 1981.


22/22

"Bhaktivedanta Institute has the greatest responsibility

for enhancing the prestige of ISKCON." rla Prabhupda

la historia del bhaktivedanta institute

Documents