Homages Other Sources, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
Please accept this humble offering at your lotus feet from the GBC College’s trustees, advisors,
faculty, course coordinators, administrators, and staff. We hope and pray that it pleases you and
invokes your blessings for the continued success of the GBC College.
For your pleasure and blessings, we are happy to report that the demand for training is grow-
ing worldwide. As we write this offering, the ninth international group of about fifty leader partic-
ipants from various parts of the world is undergoing training. Simultaneously, the third group of
about twenty leaders exclusively from North America is training. Additionally, over thirty leaders
from China – also the third group from that country – started training last week, in March 2025.
Further, Belarus devotees have expressed interest in developing a program in Russian that will be
dedicated to their specific needs. They expect to enroll twenty leaders in that program.
We are also preparing to admit the next international group, to start in November 2025. For
this upcoming group, we are contemplating two levels of training – first, for department heads,
temple presidents, etc., and second, for zonal supervisors. Thank you very much for granting our
wishes to start this new level of leadership training for department heads and others. We pray to
Your Divine Grace for your blessings so that we may successfully conduct all these training pro-
grams in the spirit of being instruments in your service. We are so grateful for the opportunity to
assist you in carrying out your vision.
Your servants at the GBC College for Leadership Development,
(submitted by Rūpānuga Dāsa, president)
Homages Other Sources, VP2025
Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
All glories to you. On behalf of the Govardhan Retreat Centre (GRC), I offer my humble glori-
fication at your lotus feet.
This center, established in 2022, is but a small attempt to serve your divine mission – helping
devotees worldwide deepen their Kṛṣṇa consciousness and find shelter under the guidance of
your teachings.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your life was an extraordinary testament to unflinching devotion, determi-
nation, and mercy. At the age of seventy you embarked on the impossible journey of spreading
Kṛṣṇa consciousness beyond the borders of India. With only a trunk of books and unwavering
faith in the Supreme Lord, you crossed the ocean to fulfill the order of your spiritual master, Śrīla
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. The world had never before witnessed such an act of selfless
love.
Through your relentless preaching, ISKCON took root in the hearts of thousands. You worked
tirelessly, translating scriptures, writing purports, guiding your disciples, and building a world-
wide movement. You established temples, farm communities, gurukulas, and book distribution
programs, ensuring that Kṛṣṇa’s message would reach every town and village, just as Lord Cai-
tanya Mahāprabhu had predicted.
Today, your teachings continue to illuminate the path for seekers, offering them a way out of
the material entanglements that bind the soul. Your transcendental books remain the guiding
light for millions, nurturing the devotion of countless aspirants eager to follow the path of bhakti.
Without your sacrifice, we would not have this spiritual movement, nor the opportunity to con-
nect with the Lord through the process of devotional service.
Govardhan Retreat Centre: A Humble Offering
The Govardhan Retreat Centre is one such humble extension of your mission. Inspired by your
vision, His Holiness Śacīnandana Swami and His Grace Bhūrijana Prabhu envisioned a center
where devotees could immerse themselves in kathā and kīrtana, surrounded by the divine atmo-
sphere of Govardhan. They wanted to create a spiritual oasis where one could take shelter, just as
the Vrajavāsīs once took shelter under Govardhan Hill when Lord Kṛṣṇa lifted it to protect them
from Indra’s wrath.
Since its opening in 2022, GRC has provided a sacred space for introspection, learning, and
deepening one’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Every retreat, every class, and every kīrtana session here
echoes the very essence of your teachings. Devotees come from all over the world to recharge
spiritually and to reflect on your instructions and apply them in their daily lives. Just as you
envisioned, this center fosters an environment where serious practitioners can advance in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, free from material distractions.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you often reminded us that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not just a philosophy but
a way of life. You taught us to serve with humility, chant with sincerity, and surrender with faith.
Your words continue to guide us today: “If you simply glorify Kṛṣṇa, then your life is perfect.”
At the GRC we strive to follow this instruction by organizing regular kathā sessions, where
devotees hear the glories of Kṛṣṇa, relish the pastimes of the Lord, and purify their hearts. The
importance of sādhu-saṅga cannot be overstated. Just as you emphasized again and again, it is
through this association that one finds the strength to progress in spiritual life.
You also stressed the importance of chanting the holy name: “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and your life
will be sublime.”
Following your instruction, every retreat at GRC is filled with heartfelt kīrtanas, where devotees
lose themselves in the ocean of Kṛṣṇa’s holy names. Whether sitting in the Kirtan Hall or walking
on the sacred land of Govardhan, we feel your presence guiding us through the vibrations of the
mahā-mantra.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we often reflect on how you endured so much hardship to give us the great-
est treasure – Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You faced countless obstacles, yet your determination never
wavered. When others doubted, you had faith. When others hesitated, you moved forward. Your
compassion knew no bounds, and your love for Kṛṣṇa was unparalleled. How can we ever repay
such a debt?
We can only try to serve your mission with sincerity, dedicate our lives to spreading Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness, and uphold the principles you set forth. It is our duty to ensure that ISKCON and its
projects, like the Govardhan Retreat Centre, continue to flourish as beacons of your mercy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, words will always fall short in expressing the gratitude we feel in our hearts.
It is only by your mercy that we have this golden opportunity to practice devotional service.
May we always remain instruments in your hands, carrying forward your legacy with purity and
devotion.
At the Govardhan Retreat Centre we commit to upholding your teachings, ensuring that every
devotee who comes here finds nourishment for their soul, inspiration for their sādhana, and a
deeper connection to Kṛṣṇa.
Please bless us so that we may always remember you, follow your instructions with sincerity,
and never deviate from the path of bhakti. We offer our heartfelt obeisances at your lotus feet,
praying that we may serve you, life after life.
Your humble servant,
Vrindavan Vinod Dāsa (director)
Jatipura-Govardhan (Vrindavan)
Homages Other Sources, VP2026
Dearest worshipable founder-ācārya, Your Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
On this sacred occasion of the 130th year of your divine Vyāsa-pūjā, we, the members of the Indian Continental Committee (ICC), offer our heartfelt gratitude and prayers. Whatever we have been able to do in your service is only because of your mercy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have given us everything – your books, your teachings, your movement, and a clear path to follow. When we look at ISKCON in India today, we can only feel that it is your work, your vision, and your compassion that are sustaining everything. The śāstra reminds us:
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
Only by your mercy can we approach Kṛṣṇa. Without your mercy, we have no standing.
ICC is a small attempt to serve your mission in a cooperative way. It brings together ISKCON temple presidents, the general managers of preaching centers, Regional Secretary assistants, Zonal Secretaries, sannyāsīs residing in India, and leaders from various ministries, such as communications, education, goshala development, and social initiatives. The intention is simple: to support one another and serve your mission more effectively.
Over time, ICC has helped facilitate working groups in areas such as book distribution, harināma-saṅkīrtana, youth outreach, goshala development, and devotee care and other social initiatives. These are all small efforts to strengthen what you already gave us.
We have also tried to support large preaching events and festivals, including gatherings like Kumbha Melā and the Rāma Mandir inauguration, and are now assisting in coordinating efforts for the 60-50 global celebrations of ISKCON in India, working in cooperation with international leadership.
One important aspect of ICC has been that it provides a platform where leaders and devotees can come together, discuss openly, and help one another. Many times, challenges that seem difficult in one center become easier when shared and discussed with others.
We are trying to ensure that these discussions take place in a proper Vaiṣṇava mood – with respect, patience, and a sincere desire to understand. In this way, ICC helps leaders and devotees express their views in a constructive and respectful manner, while maintaining harmony.
The meetings, held twice a year, have been especially helpful. Leaders from across the country come together and make a sincere effort to discuss preaching, management, and how to improve our service. Recently, we have also begun focusing more on areas like sustainability, land development, and goshala initiatives.
By your grace, ICC has also been able to support efforts to preserve and digitally restore your audio and video recordings. We understand that your vāṇī is our life, and it is our responsibility to make it accessible for future generations.
At the same time, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we know that all these efforts are meaningful only if we remain faithful to your instructions. You gave very clear guidance to temple leaders. You wanted temples to be strong in sādhana, clean, and caring toward devotees. You wrote that the temple president is responsible for the spiritual standards of the devotees, and you also emphasized that everything depends on the sincerity of the leaders. Most importantly, you reminded us that our love for you will be shown by how much we cooperate. These instructions remain our foundation. They are simple, but not always easy to follow.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in a country as large and diverse as India, differences in opinion and approach naturally arise. But we understand that such differences should not become obstacles in serving you.
So, on this day, we place a sincere prayer at your lotus feet. Please help us to cooperate. Please help us to listen to one another with respect. Please help us to remain focused on your instructions.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you showed us what real leadership is. You were firm in philosophy, yet deeply compassionate. You worked tirelessly, traveled constantly, wrote extensively, and guided personally – all for the benefit of others. Above all, you lived fully for the instruction of your spiritual master.
We may be trying to serve in different roles, but we know that we are far from your example. Still, we take shelter. India is very dear to you. You wanted that people here take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously and help share it with the world. If we, as leaders and devotees in India, can truly work together – with sincerity, humility, and cooperation – then your movement can grow in a way that will please you and benefit many.
We therefore pray that you bless all the leaders and devotees in ISKCON in India. Please help us to work together in a cooperative spirit and guide us to follow your instructions carefully. Please help us strengthen book distribution, expand preaching efforts, care properly for devotees, train the next generation, manage temples responsibly, and develop goshalas and sustainable projects in line with your vision.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, whatever has been done is by your mercy, and whatever is lacking is due to our own limitations. On this day, we do not claim anything – we simply pray. If we have made mistakes, please forgive us. If we have not served properly, please correct us. If we are lacking sincerity, please purify us. Above all, please keep us together in your service. Let us not become divided. Let us not become distracted. Let us not forget why you created this movement. Let us remain your servants.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us that we may distribute more and more of your books so that your message can reach every home and every heart. Please bless us that we may develop consciousness of you – that we may think, act, and serve in a way that reflects your desire. Please help us to keep this movement truly centered on you, where your instructions remain the guiding force in all that we do.
We have no strength of our own – only the hope that by staying connected to your instructions, we may continue somehow in your service. Kindly keep us under your shelter.
Your servants,
Sahadev Dāsa, chairman
Sumithra Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, vice-chairman
Keshav Murāri Dāsa, secretary
Homages Other Sources, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, please accept my respectful, humble obei-
sances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to your unmatched contri-
bution to this world!
Though I am your granddisciple, I consider myself your eternal servant. By your divine
empowerment, my spiritual master received Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and through his mercy, that
same light has reached me, so today I bow at your lotus feet, offering my life in gratitude.
Before coming to your shelter, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was just another lost soul in this material
world, chasing illusion, driven by ignorance. By your causeless mercy I came in contact with your
teachings through your devotees and my life took a new turn. Your books became my compass,
your mission my shelter, and your movement my home.
You pulled me from darkness and placed me on the bright path of bhakti. Your Bhagavad-gītā
As It Is, your purports, your conversations – they are a divine ocean from which I drink daily. You
gave meaning to my existence and spiritual purpose to my life.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I beg at your lotus feet: Let me never leave ISKCON, your divine gift to the
world. Let me serve your mission through thick and thin and never lose the opportunity to associ-
ate with your followers. I understand deeply now that drifting from your society is drifting from
your mercy.
Please bless me to remain humble, loyal, and active in your service, regardless of my external
situation. May I always remember that I am simply the servant of the servant of your servants.
By your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I have witnessed how your teachings empower even the most
uneducated or illiterate devotees. Through Bhakti-śāstrī courses, I’ve seen housewives, laborers,
and elderly devotees – who once doubted their own abilities – quoting your verses and living by
your teachings. This miracle happens not because of any teacher but because your vāṇī is directly
infused with Kṛṣṇa’s potency. You didn’t just translate books, you delivered transformation.
In an effort to serve your educational mission, by Your Divine Grace’s beloved disciple, His
Holiness Jayapatāka Swami, I have been helping develop the Ipoh Institute of Spiritual Edu-
cation (IISE) in Malaysia. At IISE, we strive to systematically teach the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness to devotees of all ages and backgrounds, just as you desired. We have organized a
variety of courses and programs, including a course for the illiterate, to fulfill this purpose:
Bhakti-śāstrī courses – 6 Tamil and 2 English batches – all free
Bhakti-vaibhava studies – in both Tamil and English
ISKCON Disciples Course (IDC) – more than 500 students have participated in these
sessions so far. Students learn about your position as the founder-ācārya, the guru-
paramparā system, and the proper conduct of a disciple in ISKCON. Emphasizing
your instructions and the GBC guidelines, we impress upon them the importance of
unity and purity in our society. I am happy to report that hundreds of aspiring devo-
tees now have a strong foundational understanding of what it means to be your grand-
disciple. They come from the course inspired to commit themselves to ISKCON’s
mission with integrity and devotion.
Audiobook sessions – listening to your books transforms hearts.
Quizzes, home programs, youth events – engaging the public with your words.
Yajña and saṁskāra workshops – upholding Vedic and Vaiṣṇava culture.
Deity worship trainings – ensuring proper arcana standards.
Each of these services is our humble attempt to spread your mercy systematically.
By your blessings I serve as the Deity Worship Ministry representative for ISKCON Malaysia. I
travel to temples in my zone to train pūjārīs, ensure the pañcarātrika standards are followed, and
inspire higher levels of cleanliness, punctuality, and devotion. I always remind myself and others
that the Deity is not an idol; Kṛṣṇa is personally present. This service deepens my own sādhana,
and I pray that every altar in our temples will reflect your teachings in spirit and standard.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you gave everything we need in your books. There is no need for outside
speculation or invented interpretations. Every issue in life and society has already been addressed
in your instructions. As your granddisciple, I take it as my sacred duty to help others realize this
truth and to teach them to take shelter of your words with full faith.
Please bless me, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to remain fixed in your ISKCON, to serve under the guid-
ance of your loyal servants, to preach your message without compromise, and to leave this world
remembering your lotus feet. May I live and die as your eternal servant. May I never become
proud, never become diverted, and never forget your mercy.
Your unworthy servant,
Muralīdhara Śyāma Dāsa
Deity Worship Ministry representative for Malaysia and co-principal of IISE
Homages Other Sources, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
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
– I –
Śrīla Prabhupāda once said, “Impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary.” As ISKCON’s global minister for book distribution, charged with carrying forward the mission that was dearest to his heart, I have found no better instruction for the work before us. We are not in the business of counting obstacles. We are in the business of assuming it can be done – and then doing it.
In December of 1969, Śrīla Prabhupāda descended into the basement pressroom of ISKCON Press in Boston – a former funeral home, unheated in winter – and stood before a large offset printing press. According to the eyewitness account of Patita Uddhāraṇa Dāsa, one of the press’s bookbinders who was present that day, Prabhupāda “affectionately pointed to the press machine and said, ‘This is my heart.’” When a devotee replied, “You are the heart of ISKCON, Prabhupāda,” he said simply: “And this is my heart.”
That press, in that cold basement, was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s heart. From that beginning – which the Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, by Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswami documents in full – the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust grew to become, as Patita Uddhāraṇa Dāsa records in his compilation This Is My Heart (Bhaktivedanta Archives, 2015), the world’s largest Indological publisher, distributing millions of books in over fifty languages. Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote in a letter preserved in the Līlāmṛta: “When one book is published, I think I have conquered an empire.” He conquered many empires. And he left the maps to us so that we could carry on his conquests.
The tip of the spear – the most penetrating aspect of our entire movement – has always been the literature and the act of distributing it. Śrīla Prabhupāda said plainly: “Producing and distributing books is our most important engagement. All other engagements culminate in this one end.” He called the printed book the bṛhat-mṛdaṅga – the great drum – whose sound travels farther than any kirtan party, into places no kirtan party can reach. In a 1973 letter he described our method in terms that leave no ambiguity: “Fight with Maya means to drop thousands and millions of books into the lap of the conditioned souls. Just like during wartime, the bombs are raining from the sky.”
– II –
Śrīla Prabhupāda did not theorize about covering the earth. He did it. He boarded the Jaladuta at age sixty-nine with some volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the holy name, and the order of his spiritual master – and nothing else. He suffered two heart attacks on the crossing. He arrived without allies, without money, without a plan anyone else would have called realistic. And within twelve years he had founded over one hundred temples, produced over seventy volumes of Vedic literature, and established a global movement on six continents. He did not dwell on the impossibility of the task. His unwavering question was always: “How can I do this?” That question – surrendered, determined, forward-moving – is the question we inherit.
He also left us a principle by which to work: “If you are going to hunt, you should hunt for a rhinoceros. In that way, if you don’t succeed, everyone will say, ‘Oh, it couldn’t be done anyway.’ But if you do succeed, everyone will be amazed.” We are rhinoceros hunters. Our goals are large by design, because large goals develop large capacity, and because Lord Caitanya’s mission is not a modest one. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma – “In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.” Every town. Every village. Every language. We take this instruction literally, because Śrīla Prabhupāda took it literally.
The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 9.29, purport) gives us our operating principle in one sentence: “The only purpose of the preachers of the saṅkīrtana movement must be to go on preaching without restriction.” No restriction. Not considering who is fit or unfit. Not waiting for perfect conditions. Not keeping a list of why it cannot be done – because what is illegal in this ministry is keeping such a list. We go on. We assume it can be done. And then we do it.
– III –
The vision driving this ministry is what we call the One World Team: a global saṅkīrtana community in which every region of the world works together, shares best practices, and moves toward a common goal. The principle is simple – when we work as one, we do better than when we work alone. A rising tide lifts all boats. Where attention goes, energy flows. And when the entire world gives its attention to the distribution of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books together, the results are not merely additive. They are exponential.
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 2.81) as the greatest spiritual capitalist, possessing the touchstone of love of God and distributing it without discrimination to anyone who comes. He does not ask whether the recipient is qualified. He gives. Our ministry takes its operating mood from Him: liberal, prolific, cooperative, and utterly confident in what we are distributing. As Nārada Muni confirms in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11), this literature causes a viplava – a revolution – in the consciousness of anyone who encounters it. We are not selling a mundane product. We are delivering a cure. The only question is how many people we can reach.
Śrīla Prabhupāda saw the Sherwin-Williams paint logo – a can of paint pouring over the globe with the motto “Cover the Earth” – and said that should be our motto too. It is. The ministry’s work is to cover this earth, systematically and without restriction, using every language, every channel, every method available, cooperating across all regions as one world team, with the confidence that Lord Caitanya Himself is writing the checks. As we say in this ministry: Workarounds bring turnarounds. Your pledge is your wedge. And “touching the pavement” is enough to flip the switch.
– IV –
On this appearance day of Śrīla Prabhupāda, the ISKCON Ministry of Book Distribution is glad to report that the One World Team is working – and working well.
Since the launch of the Bhadra Campaign, the worldwide distribution of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets has grown from 7,007 sets in 2018 to 40,381 sets in 2025 – a 476 percent increase. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is has grown from 2.1 million copies in 2020 to 5.1 million copies in 2025 – a 143 percent increase. Overall BBT book distribution, as measured by the “World Sankirtan Newsletter,” has increased by 33 percent since 2018. Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets are on the rise as well.
These numbers tell a story. The focused, strategic, cooperative campaigns of the One World Team dramatically outperform uncoordinated individual effort. When regions share what works, when leaders set goals together and report to one another, when the entire global saṅkīrtana community moves in the same direction at the same time – the results reflect not just organizational efficiency but the direct reciprocation of Lord Caitanya, who, as Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī writes in the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, makes everything possible for those who carry out His mission: “Nothing is impossible for the Lord, His dear devotees, His transcendental abode or His pastimes, for all these are inconceivably powerful.”
We are either improving or we are getting worse. Staying the same is not tenable. The numbers above represent thousands of devotees around the world who chose to improve – who caught their own Jaladuta, stepped aboard, and sailed. The ministry’s task going forward is to widen that fleet, to bring more regions and more communities into the One World Team, to set goals that are larger than last year’s, and to assume – always, without apology – that it can be done.
*
Śrīla Prabhupāda crossed an ocean alone and changed the world. He pointed to a printing press in a cold basement and called it his heart. He left us that heart, still beating, in every book his followers carry out the door.
The saṅkīrtana movement is not a monument to what Śrīla Prabhupāda accomplished. It is a living mission he placed in our hands and asked us to carry forward. The paramparā moves only when someone picks it up, and with heart, soul, and intelligence, carries it forward. On this most auspicious day of his divine appearance, the ISKCON Ministry of Book Distribution pledges to carry it: without restriction, without hesitation, as one world team, assuming always that it can be done.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.
Vaiśeṣika Dāsa
ISKCON Minister of Book Distribution
Homages Other Sources, VP2026
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On this most auspicious day of your Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā, we, your servants at the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry (IDWM), joyfully place this offering at your feet in a mood of deep appreciation and greatest commitment to your mission.
The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry is sincerely striving to please Your Divine Grace by faithfully maintaining the standards of Deity worship that you so compassionately bestowed upon us by your causeless mercy. These standards are the very foundation of our service. When we formulate position statements on Deity worship for ISKCON centers, or when we advise temples, devotees, and yātrās on the sacred processes of arcana, your instructions remain our North Star, the guiding light for every decision we make.
You clearly warned in your letter to Dhruvānanda Dāsa, written from Bombay on 4 January 1973: “The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities.”
Holding this instruction at the forefront of our minds, the IDWM is firmly committed to guiding and inspiring devotees to uphold the standards of worship you envisioned for all your ISKCON temples.
By your mercy, we have witnessed steady, global improvement in Deity worship practices over the years. We know that whatever progress has been made is solely due to your transcendental guidance, which we constantly draw upon and strive to present clearly, consistently, and encouragingly to your followers.
Over the past year, the IDWM team has continued to grow, as devotees from around the world step forward, eager to offer their talents and energy in your service through this ministry. We see this expansion as a clear sign of your ongoing kindness and care for your Deities and for the hearts of your devotees, who long to worship Them nicely.
One of our greatest endeavors has been our concerted effort to identify, train, and empower Deity Worship Ministry representatives in every country of the world. We are working diligently to ensure that in each region there are devotees who understand your standards, embody your mood, and can practically assist local temples and communities to implement your teachings on Deity worship.
By your mercy, the most significant achievement of this past year has been the appointment of Regional Ministers in each Regional Governing Body. This has substantially expanded our reach and effectiveness. Through these Regional Ministers, we are now able to connect more personally and more consistently with individual centers and with ISKCON devotees at large. This development has greatly increased our capacity to support, educate, and guide your temples in maintaining the standards of worship required for your beloved Deities.
At the same time, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we also find ourselves constantly dealing with deviations from your established standards. As the modern world rapidly changes, we see a growing tendency toward experimentation, excessive creativity, and the introduction of novel practices, especially linked to technological advancements and new forms of “Deity darshan” and presentation. While we appreciate the sincere desire of devotees to make Deity worship accessible and attractive, we are equally mindful of your grave warning about manufacturing new processes.
Therefore, with as much humility and patience as we can muster, we are actively trying to lovingly yet firmly educate devotees everywhere about what you have given us in Deity worship, and why it must not be altered or concocted. We strive to uphold your standards in all of your ISKCON temples, reminding ourselves and others that real beauty, power, and success in Deity worship lie not in novelty, but in faithfulness to your instructions.
Over the past year, ISKCON centers throughout the world have continued to install Deities and expand their worship, turning to the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry for guidance, training, and consultation.
We see it as a great responsibility and a great honor to be allowed to assist your devotees in preparing proper facilities, systems, and consciousness to welcome the Lord into their communities according to the standards you envisioned.
All the activities undertaken by the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry, our strategic planning, our training programs, our consultations, our written guidelines, our efforts to correct deviations, and our attempts to encourage and uplift pūjārīs and temple leaders are offered unto you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You have made it possible for us to engage in the sublime process of Deity worship within your ISKCON, and we never wish to forget that we are only instruments, completely dependent on your mercy.
On this blessed day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we humbly beg you:
- To kindly continue to bestow your mercy upon us so that we may carry out our services at IDWM with enthusiasm, clarity, courage, and unwavering dedication.
- Please empower our representatives, Regional Ministers, and Core Team members to be genuine servants of your standards, both knowledgeable and compassionate, so that they can inspire others by their example and instruction.
- Please give us the strength to firmly uphold what you have given, while remaining gentle and encouraging with those who are still learning.
We beg you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to kindly forgive any shortcomings, mistakes, or offenses we may have committed in this service. If there is anything of value in our endeavors, it is entirely by your mercy; whatever is lacking or incorrect is our own fault and ignorance.
With grateful hearts, we offer this year’s service by the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry at your lotus feet and pray that, year after year, our offerings may become more faithful to your will and more pleasing to you. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your servants at the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry
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