Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept our most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
On July 11, 1966, after a meeting in your Matchless Gifts storefront temple at 26 Second Avenue in New York, the incorporation papers for your ISKCON were signed. You had given your society the name International Society for Krishna Consciousness and had personally coined the acronym ISKCON. You also presented seven purposes of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the last of which reads: “With a view towards achieving the aforementioned Purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.”
In a letter to Maṇḍali Bhadra Dāsa (dated 20 January 1972) you wrote: “My first concern is that my books be published and distributed profusely all over the world. Practically, books are the basis of our Movement. Without our books, our preaching will have no effect.”
By the time you left this world in November of 1977, your ISKCON had grown to include more than 108 temples, centers, farm communities, and schools. Now, on the eve of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of its founding, your ISKCON operates over 850 temples, cultural centers, and schools worldwide. Undoubtedly this growth was fueled in large part by distribution of your books!
Your disciples, granddisciples, and followers serving at BBT North America pray that Your Divine Grace will continue to bless and guide us so that we may be successful in the important work of keeping your books in print and readily available for the many sincere devotees distributing them in this part of the world.
Your servants at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust offices in North America.