Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
We bow to the shining dust from your lotus feet, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Jaya oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aşṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Mahārāja Prabhupāda kī jaya!
We express our deepest respects to you and pray that we may please you by following your instructions and serving your mission.
You have come to this misery-filled material world to bestow the supreme mercy of pure devotional service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This grace is the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which liberates the world from the philosophy of impersonalism and emptiness. The world is sick, and numerous conflicts are arising both at the level of countries and the level of people – terrible wars and violence, diseases, mental abnormalities, earthquakes, fires, droughts, and floods. When you came to this world, you brought the only remedy: the reunion with one’s true self as a loving servant of the Lord. This is the only way to extinguish the fire of material existence.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you bestowed on us the purest knowledge and the eternal mercy of the ācāryas. You placed the responsibility on your sincere followers to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in modern society. The task is difficult and impossible on a material level. In your books, talks, and lectures, we hear your insistence, guidance, and power as you encourage your followers to be serious and sincere in their spiritual lives. You provide the conviction that the almighty Absolute Truth, the source of all existence, and the source of all love, always reciprocates the devotion of His servants.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your divine grace we have the opportunity to serve the first and incomparable Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda in Russia. This is your grace, as is the grace of the first Omsk Deities, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. Thirty or forty years ago, none of us could have imagined that we would ever be able to serve the source of all existence.
Now, our temple complex in the city center occupies an area of 250 square meters. The total area of the premises is 1,700 square meters, and more than 280 devotees are engaged in the worship of the Lord.
Lord Śrī Govinda gives joy to the earth, cows, and senses. For the satisfaction of the Lord, you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, have established the Cow Planet Farm, which is now home to more than two hundred happy cows. The supreme spiritual abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described as consisting of two main aspects, manifested in the spiritual world as the Audārya-dhāma (abode of mercy) and the Mādhurya-dhāma (abode of sweet love). This place is akin to the Audārya-dhāma, as it is ruled by the beautiful Pañca-tattva.
We conduct the following preaching programs:
- Harināmas are held twice a week for two hours
- Once a week, devotees participate in weekend saṅkīrtana
- There are weekly meetings in twelve spiritual communication groups
- There are programs for those who are just beginning to learn the spiritual science, such as Reading the Bhagavad-gītā, Sunday Yoga, and Yoga in the City Parks.
- On Sundays, the temple hosts a Sunday Program.
- Every two months, devotees organize mantra concerts.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you gave us the resources and methods to achieve ISKCON’s goals: to preach the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as described in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; to spread and encourage the saṅkīrtana movement, which involves chanting the holy name of the Lord together and following the instructions of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, and books; and to prepare delicious food for the Lord and distribute it to the people.
We can never fully thank you for the invaluable gift you bestowed on us. To fulfill your instructions and achieve these goals, you gave us everything we need. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your servants,
The devotees of ISKCON Omsk