Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, our ever well-wisher, eternal spiritual master, and savior of the world.
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our heartfelt gratitude for the causeless mercy you have bestowed on us. You alone are responsible for bringing the most confidential transcendental message of Lord Caitanya to America and thereafter distributing it throughout the world.
Of the hundreds of ISKCON temples throughout the world, your Alachua, Florida, community, where we are honored to serve, is one of your most diverse. We have devotees here from over twenty countries, and around two hundred of your initiated disciples live in the surrounding area. Then there are also second- and third-generation devotees, who are offering their experienced service, along with newcomers who have enthusiastically embraced the path of devotional service.
Among the devotees are doctors, nurses, lawyers, realtors, artists, contractors, musicians, accountants, farmers, writers, business people, and those who work in the service industry. We also have teachers, most of whom teach in the two temple-affiliated schools. Along with the diversity in occupation and nationality of the devotees, there is also a wide range of religious, cultural, and social backgrounds among the devotees.
In spite of such diversity, there is, by your grace, real unity. All are engaged according to their propensities and means in devotional service under your guidance. Along with the two temple-affiliated schools, we have elaborate Deity worship, campus prasādam distribution and preaching, street harināmas, monthly kirtan festivals, six to eight annual Festival of the Chariots programs, an annual and now famous Festival of the Holy Names, large-scale vibrant observance of various festivals like Śrī Janmāṣṭamī and Gaura-Pūrṇimā, and, of course, book distribution.
In your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.30.8 you write: “The unity of the individual souls attempting to satisfy the Supreme Lord or rendering service to the Lord is real unity. In the material world such unity is not possible. Even though people may officially unite, they all have different interests. In the United Nations, for instance, all the nations have their particular national ambitions, and consequently they cannot be united. Disunity between individual souls is so strong within this material world that even in a society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, members sometimes appear disunited due to their having different opinions and leaning toward material things. Actually, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness there cannot be two opinions. There is only one goal: to serve Kṛṣṇa to one’s best ability. If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be disunited in any circumstance. This makes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very happy and willing to award all kinds of benediction to His devotees, as indicated in this verse.”
On this sacred day, we pray for the strength to remain united, to honor one another as your servants, and to continue growing as a community that reflects your vision of a worldwide spiritual family.
Thank you for not only giving us Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but one another.
Your servants at the Alachua devotee community
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Hare Kṛṣṇa, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances unto your lotus feet.
ISKCON Calgary offers this small offering as a humble tribute to your inconceivable contribution toward humanity on this Vyāsa-pūjā. Śrīla Prabhupāda, a few words or a few pages cannot fully express the deep gratitude in the hearts of your devotees at ISKCON Calgary. Just as Vaikuṇṭha ever expands, so the devotion and gratitude of the devotees here continue to grow for you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are an ocean of mercy. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa happily accepted the banana peel offered with great love and devotion by Vidurāṇī, so we pray that you kindly accept this offering as a token of gratitude, devotion, and love on behalf of the ISKCON Calgary congregation.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you established so many temples across the world that serve as powerful gateways to propagating spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Inspired by your vision, ISKCON Calgary, to the best of its ability, is striving hard to spread this mission. To meaningfully carry forward your divine purpose, the temple places a strong emphasis on nurturing devotees from within and without. With this understanding, by providing internal nourishment, a devotee naturally becomes an instrument for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. In this way, dear Prabhupāda, internal cultivation and external outreach go hand in hand, forming a balanced and sustainable approach to fulfilling your mission in the Western world.
Focused on providing spiritual nourishment to the devotees, temple efforts involve organizing spiritual courses, devotional discussions, and outreach programs. These also include book distribution, which is the heart of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
With the involvement of youth and other volunteers in the temple services, the temple also takes care of these devotees by providing them spiritual nourishment. Rendering services in the right mood and consciousness is very important for quick elevation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore we have more than forty devotees who have taken courses like Discover Yourself and Positive Thinkers, taught by His Grace Rādheśhyāma Prabhu form ISKCON Pune. These courses have not only helped devotees to grow in their spiritual wisdom but have helped them over time to preach this transcendental knowledge to new devotees during outdoor activities.
ISKCON Calgary now has more than twenty dedicated youth who attend the full morning program, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class. For many devotees, the Saturday maṅgala-ārati programs have become a powerful source of spiritual support. Regularly joining these early morning gatherings has helped people strengthen their bhakti and build more consistency, sincerity, and enthusiasm in their devotional lives.
As a result, many have made real progress in their spiritual journey by regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and slowly bringing their lives in line with the four regulative principles. These programs encourage discipline and devotion while building a sense of community, accountability, and shared spiritual growth among everyone who takes part.
ISKCON Calgary has always prioritized high standards of cleanliness. Temple management recognizes that the regular cleaning of the temple on weekdays, festivals, and Sunday feast programs requires a large number of dedicated devotees. In your letter dated 2 January 1972, you explained the most practical way to engage our skills in Kṛṣṇa’s service: “In the material dealings, there is always something undesirable, but even so, you cannot give up your occupation. Just like fire is very pure, there is still some smoke. You cannot avoid it. All these things can be rectified when the result is offered to Kṛṣṇa.” Taking this instruction as a guiding principle, devotees at ISKCON Calgary, including our more than forty young people, are wholeheartedly engaged in cleaning services, trusting that it will please you and our Lordships. This service is performed not merely as a duty, dear Prabhupāda, but as an offering imbued with devotion.
To further cultivate and help them grow, a dedicated initiative known as Pāṇḍava Sena of Calgary has been established under the guidance of His Grace Kanāi Ṭhākura Prabhu. This is a dedicated team focused on youth outreach. Pāṇḍava Sena of Calgary organized various courses for the youth, including retreats, kirtans, and other youth-oriented activities to provide them holistic and nurturing care. This team’s efforts aim to create a supportive and inspiring environment where young devotees can connect deeply with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Currently, Pāṇḍava Sena is actively involved in university outreach, conducting regular monthly programs at the University of Calgary to introduce students to Vedic philosophy and devotional practices. These sessions include interactive discussion, kirtans, and the practical application of spiritual principles, creating a welcoming platform for students to explore Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a structured and relatable manner. Thanks to the dedication of our faithful devotees, it has been possible for us to participate in many of the events at the university level, where not only were the students connected, but also books like Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Beyond Birth and Death, and many others have been distributed. Not only that, but Pāṇḍava Sena also has plans to conduct its very first retreat in May 2026. This retreat is aimed at anchoring the existing devotees and new devotees of the temple.
CVA in Calgary is also expanding rapidly. With an initial enrollment of forty-five students, CVA now has more than 150 students, who participate in understanding the fundamentals of the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, along with śloka recitation. CVA is diligently working to train the next generation of warriors for your mission, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Calgary bows at your lotus feet again and again and offers its obeisances to you on the auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā. You crossed oceans, endured two heart attacks, and had nothing in your hands simply to deliver generations and generations of this world. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you did not have material riches, but you were full of the mercy of the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda, how will we – rather, how will this whole world – be able to repay our debt to for your immense mercy?
With you in our hearts, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees are constantly elevating themselves on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is no moment when the devotees of Calgary forget you. Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Calgary may not have achieved the best of everything it’s capable of, but we promise that, being warriors in your army, we will keep growing every day, every moment, and make sure that Lord Caitanya’s message and glories are heard in every street of the city.
With this, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we beg forgiveness if in any way we are lacking in our service to your mission. Please accept each of us and keep us under your shelter. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to you.
Your servants at ISKCON Calgary
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Most respected and dearest 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 humble obeisances. All glories to you!
When our congregation reads, listens to, studies, and discusses your books and lectures we feel enlivened, our minds are purified, and we clearly see the purpose of our lives – to perform sincere devotional service until the lotus feet of your pure devotees.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.16, Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī addressed the queries of the great sages headed by the sage Śaunaka:
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely free from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.
The effect of such service is priceless – developing a taste for hearing and chanting the holy sound vibration. By hearing and chanting, all material desires are cleansed from the heart of a truthful devotee, as explained in the next, verse, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17:
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
In your purport you have kindly point out:
Messages of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa are nondifferent from Him. Whenever, therefore, offenseless hearing and glorification of God are undertaken, it is to be understood that Lord Kṛṣṇa is present there in the form of transcendental sound, which is as powerful as the Lord personally. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His Śikṣāṣṭaka, declares clearly that the holy name of the Lord has all the potencies of the Lord and that He has endowed His innumerable names with the same potency. There is no rigid fixture of time, and anyone can chant the holy name with attention and reverence at his convenience. The Lord is so kind to us that He can be present before us personally in the form of transcendental sound, but unfortunately, we have no taste for hearing and glorifying the Lord’s name and activities. We have already discussed developing a taste for hearing and chanting the holy sound. It is done through the medium of service to the pure devotee of the Lord.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you mention that Śrīla Vedavyāsa was feeling incomplete despite being fully equipped with everything required by the Vedas. In Bhāgavatam 1.4.31, Vyāsa Bhagavān says:
kiṁ vā bhāgavatā dharma na prāyeṇa nirūpitāḥ
priyāḥ paramahaṁsānāṁ ta eva hy acyuta-priyāḥ
This may be because I did not specifically point out the devotional service of the Lord, which is dear both to perfect beings and to the infallible Lord.
In your purport you kindly point out: “Unless one is fixed in the normal condition of service, neither the Lord nor the living being can become fully satisfied. This defect was felt by him when Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, reached him.”
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.8, Śrī Nārada Muni says:
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam
You have hardly broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless.
In the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you point out that constitutionally we are eternal servants of the eternal master. Lord Kṛṣṇa expands himself to accept loving service from us, which satisfies both the Lord and us. “Dry philosophical speculations even on the transcendental subject of the Absolute have very little attraction without directly dealing with the glorification of the Lord.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are always present in your books. If this were not true, how is it possible that your books continue to transform the hearts of so many people every day? Your mysterious workings are beyond our comprehension. We only hope and pray that you continue to inspire and guide us through your devotees so that we can carry on your mission to the best possible extent – with consistency and without material motive – to please you and your pure devotees.
We have been a small congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operating under the banner of ISKCON New Mahāvan. Always fascinated by your books and teachings, we have been performing daily maṅgala-ārati, weekly classes on the Bhagavad-gītā (on Fridays) and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (on Sundays), organizing major festivals, including Ratha-yātrā.
After every Saturday maṅgala-ārati and japa, devotees listen to one of your lectures and get immense inspiration. Devotees here organize multiple weekly sessions at the Gopal Fun School for children, both online and in-person. Some devotees organize online and in-person regular weekly reading sessions to study your books. We have a monthly kirtan and reading program at the University of Minnesota and have started another outreach program in Shakopee, MN. Devotees here regularly participate in book distribution at the university, fairs/festivals, other temples, and grocery stores. We celebrate important festivals with kirtan, classes, dramas and performances involving the local public, and introduce people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we feel that your books, like parents, have the power to sustain preaching centers by nourishing us with devotion, wisdom and resources.
In February 2024, devotees here acquired a 5.5-acre piece of land with a house and pole barn. It is allowing us the possibility of building an ISKCON temple. By your kind mercy, we recently got over the hurdle of getting the Conditional Use Permit approved by the city of Corcoran. We fervently pray for your continued mercy so we can come up with a devotionally vibrant Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. We are now in the process of raising funds for the temple and farming project under the banner of ISKCON New Mahāvan Temple and Eco Farm Community.
We pray unto your lotus feet to please keep us under your shelter and continue to guide us in the form of books and lectures. May we serve under the wise guidance of your able disciples, like the ISKCON GBC members, senior devotees, and initiating spiritual masters, so that we can sincerely serve and glorify your devotees and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa sincerely and consistently, with love and care.
Your servants at ISKCON New Mahāvan Temple and Eco Farm Community
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace and your beloved Vyāsa-pūjā day.
Thank you for your only visit to ISKCON Denver, Colorado, during June-July 1975. We are deeply grateful to you for being with us each day through your vāṇī, manifest in your books, lectures, conversations, videos, mūrti, and photos. Please bless us to fully realize your presence.
In 1975, you graced us with your loving care. You named our small Deities Rādhā-Govinda. You kept a framed photo of Them in your Vrindavan quarters, as they resemble your childhood Deities, Rādhā-Govinda. You served Them throughout the līlā of your life on this planet, a continuation of your service in Goloka Vṛndāvana. They arranged for you to write Their books and spread the holy names around the world. They arranged for you to have Their presence and pastimes here in Denver so that we can learn to please Them through your saṅkīrtana movement. As Their pure instrument, you requested that They bless us with daily services that will eventually purify us to serve with rādhā-govinda-prema.
The unlimited compassion, love, and kindness that you daily give us is inconceivable. May we receive your grace to constantly increase our gratitude, service attitude, and pure execution of devotional service. May your blessings give us the spiritual strength to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness increasingly.
During your visit, you appreciated Denver’s Deity worship, book distribution, devotees, and the temple building (a former church). Now it is our devotional happiness that we can continue with these services and simultaneously learn to please you more and eternally by your grace.
We are very grateful that you saved us from material consciousness and are giving us the saṅkīrtana movement to spread love of Godhead to all.
Your aspiring servants of the servants’ servants,
At New Badarikāśrama
(written by Nidrā Devī Dāsī)
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Our most beloved 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 respectful obeisances with the highest gratitude for creating the most powerful, loving family of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. All glories to your divine mercy on humanity.
At Devasadan Mandir we are celebrating the Golden Jubilee celebration of the installation of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi you performed on your last visit to Detroit. By your divine stay at the Devasadan Mandir, it became a holy tīrtha. Now everyone who visits and enters your room gets the opportunity to receive the blessings of the dust from your lotus feet. It was here that you instructed His Grace Ambarīṣa Prabhu to build the glorious TOVP project, which he is doing with the highest dedication, just to please you, and which is due to open on November 1, 2027.
By your causeless mercy, we are able to continue serving the most merciful Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjabihārījī. O ever well-wisher, we beg you to give us the good fortune to continue to participate in the loving service of your lotus feet and our most merciful Deities Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjabihārījī until we are no longer in these bodies. Please hold our hands tight, because we have the tendency to run away from you.
Begging for forgiveness for our unlimited offenses to the Vaiṣṇavas,
Your humble servants at the Devasadan Mandir,
(written by Jagad-Guru Dāsa)
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dearest, beloved founder-ācārya, Your Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace. On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, the devotees at ISKCON Durham gather with grateful hearts to offer our prayers, reflections, and deep appreciation for your causeless mercy.
Just as water is essential for sustaining life, your teachings are the very life and soul of our spiritual existence. We are reminded of the essential role of the spiritual master through this sacred verse:
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
dhyāyaṁs stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the mercy of Kṛṣṇa; without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and glorify my spiritual master, offering my respectful obeisances unto his lotus feet.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this verse perfectly reflects our dependence on your mercy. Whatever little service we are able to perform is only by your blessings. Over the past year, ISKCON Durham has continued to grow as a center of devotional service, and we know with full conviction that this is entirely your arrangement.
By your blessings, we have been able to celebrate all the major Vaiṣṇava festivals, bringing together devotees and newcomers alike. Some festivals were observed on a particularly larger scale, allowing us to extend your mission of outreach even further. During Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, more than 2,000 attendees came to take darshan, honor prasādam, and hear about Kṛṣṇa. Our Ratha-yātrā festival welcomed over 1,500 participants, giving many the rare opportunity to pull Lord Jagannātha’s chariot and receive His mercy. Similarly, Rāma-navamī was celebrated with over 1,500 attendees, filling the atmosphere with devotion and remembrance of Lord Rāmacandra.
We continue to hold regular Saturday feast programs, and by your grace, a steady and sincere congregation gathers weekly to hear hari-kathā, chant, and honor prasādam. This consistent engagement has helped strengthen the devotional community and create a welcoming environment for new guests.
One of the most inspiring developments this year has been the growth of our Krishna Fun School for children. With approximately fifty students currently registered, we are witnessing the next generation of devotees being nurtured in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their enthusiastic participation and beautiful performances during festivals have inspired many other children and families to become involved. Alongside in-person sessions, we have also begun virtual classes focused on śloka recitation, helping children remain connected and steadily progress in their spiritual practices.
By your mercy, within the span of just over a year, two devotees from our congregation received their first initiation (hari-nāma dīkṣā), and another sincere devotee is aspiring for first initiation soon. These developments remind us that your mission is alive and actively transforming hearts.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we understand that none of this is our doing. We are simply trying, in our very small and imperfect ways, to serve as instruments in your hands. You have given us everything – your books, instructions, society, and the holy name. Whatever success we see is only a reflection of your unlimited compassion.
We pray for your continued guidance and blessings so that ISKCON Durham can remain fixed in serving your mission of spreading the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Please help us remain humble, cooperative, and sincere in our efforts. Kindly empower us to overcome our shortcomings and engage more deeply in devotional service.
We beg for the strength to always remember that we are your servants, meant to assist in fulfilling your divine desire – to bring Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every town and village.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us purpose, direction, and hope. Please continue to engage us in your service birth after birth.
Your insignificant servants,
Shyama Mohini Devī Dāsī, Council Head
And the devotees at ISKCON Durham
Page 1 of 1012345...10...»Last »
