Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
This 2025 is a very special year for us here in South Africa. It is this year that marks the fiftieth
anniversary of your arrival on our South African soil. The devotees are very excited, preparing
for grand events to honor your arrival in the month of October. Thus far, we have put together
themes for each month in order to glorify Your Divine Grace, honor your instructions, and create
awareness of your landmark visit to this country. The themes that have been selected are based on
our South African history, but they have been strategically placed to meet and reflect the teach-
ings of the Vedic scriptures. This in itself showcases the spirit of the ancient wisdom that you self-
lessly translated and traversed the globe to share.
The themes also show a significant part of our history that spotlights the injustices of apartheid,
segregation, and discrimination. It was during the heightened period of apartheid that you visited
South Africa – in 1975 – when the borders of our country were tightly locked to any affiliation
or collaboration between countries, especially those that scrutinized South Africa’s laws. The
country was governed by strict laws that enforced division between the people based on race, yet
your vision was bold enough to set the tone for the yātrā that developed in every province of such
a country. Today, we see that ISKCON has played some part in bringing harmony to the people
here. Your visit inspired celebration of the Festival of Chariots and the building of the magnificent
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rādhānātha Temple of Understanding in Durban, which celebrates forty years since
its grand opening this year.
As teams from across the nation unite with enthusiasm to celebrate this milestone year, we
humbly acknowledge that our plans will remain mere aspirations without your blessings to bring
them to life. Therefore we earnestly seek your guidance and mercy to empower the South Afri-
can devotees to generate the energy and momentum required to honor your legacy. May we be
inspired to commemorate your monumental contributions to this country and the global diaspora
in a manner befitting your divine mission.
This year, we are focusing on steady book distribution to disseminate your transcendental liter-
ature. We have active Monthly Saṅkīrtana Festivals in all the major temples in the country, where
devotees go out collectively on book distribution to different areas. There is still so much more
that can be done in this regard, and plans are underway to drive the book distribution scores up
even further. We have also taken to online platforms to make your books more easily available.
In the past year, South Africa distributed 3,787 copies of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is during the Live To
Give campaign, and 130 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam during the Bhadra Pūrṇimā campaign.
Food-for-Life South Africa holds a firm place in the heart of the social development sector by
feeding people indiscriminately within our country. Plates of prasādam are distributed daily to
school children around the country. One of the key focus areas of Food-for-Life South Africa is
to establish kitchens across the country, and thus far, many areas have well-equipped facilities to
serve hundreds – in some cases, thousands – of plates of prasādam per day. Food-for-Life South
Africa has been consistently active during times of disaster, demonstrating remarkable dedication
by swiftly establishing teams to serve meals even in severe weather. Their ability to organize and
deliver meals within tight turnaround periods has been a vital part of their response to crises,
ensuring that those affected receive much-needed spiritual and physical nourishment in moments
of urgency. The teams go into both urban and rural areas with high-powered kīrtana to create a
warm and welcoming mood whilst prasādam is being served. Over the past year, Food-for-Life
South Africa has served 1.9 million plates of prasādam across the country.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you desired when you visited South Africa to celebrate Ratha-yātrā festivals.
Our Ratha-yātrā festivals are well established and take place in several provinces and in smaller
towns as well. These festivals are now a standing event on the calendar, and major cities have it
earmarked on their municipal calendar of events. Lord Jagannātha takes to the streets of many
cities and offers His darshan to the diverse population of South Africa. We aim to bring people
together under the umbrella of a social-cohesion fest. In this way we sing together, dance together,
feast together, and showcase the blissful life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The African Ratha-yātrā Alli-
ance assists in hosting fifteen Ratha-yātrā festivals across South Africa annually, and six in neigh-
boring African countries.
We are also pleased that many of our devotees are now serving the global yātrā in various
capacities. Just as you taught that training is essential, such training by senior ISKCON leaders
is underway, and South African devotees are now integrated into the global ISKCON space. This
brings a new dimension to the South African servant-leadership, as these devotees are not only
offering their service globally but also bringing back valuable knowledge and insights to South
Africa. Organized and demand-focused training is being established in South Africa, and we are
positive that it will lead to a better ISKCON home for everyone. This enhances continuous lead-
ership improvement within our preaching endeavors, always striving to do better in pleasing Your
Divine Grace.
South Africa will also have given the world two notable sannyāsīs by May of this year. They are
not only preaching in Africa but in the global space. This year, we welcome a homegrown sannyāsī.
This further enhances our preaching opportunities. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we offer our gratitude to
you for blessing us with such amazing devotees from this soil.
There is much more that can be done and still needs to be done to develop and enhance our
endeavors in spreading the holy names within the country. Although five decades have passed
since your visit, and inroads have been made to establish preaching centers and temples, there is
still so much groundwork to be navigated to honor you and spread the mission of Lord Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. It is in this mood that we pray at your lotus feet that you give us the intelligence,
strength, and guidance to take this mission to greater heights and to reach more of the people
of South Africa. A South Africa adage states, umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu: “A person is a person
through other people.” This denotes our interdependency. We indeed need kīrtana, meditation,
saṅga, and togetherness to heal from the division of our history and focus on unity, ultimately
remembering that we are all brothers and sisters in service to God, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is only through
your causeless mercy as the founder-ācārya of ISKCON. Therefore we again and again glorify you
so that we are able to make a positive difference and contribute meaningfully in our South Afri-
can landscape.
All glories, all glories, all glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda on his fiftieth landmark visit to South
Africa! We thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us this opportunity to know Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Kṛṣṇa and for setting the foundation for our ISKCON home, where the most wonderful devotees
of South Africa are found.
Your servants,
The devotees of South Africa
(written by Kṛśāṅgi Rādhe Devī Dāsī, Communications Minister for SA)
Most dear and beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept our respectful and humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace! We revel in
the dust of your lotus feet, finding our hearts’ true delight.
You once recounted how a priest, acting on his own accord, approached you and said,
“Swamiji, I see a brightness in the faces of your students. How have you created this brightness?”
(Room conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, Delhi, November 25, 1971).
We know precisely why: because you dwell in our minds. Indeed, you own our minds. That is
why your devotees now possess such “bright faces.” It is your brightness that shines through!
Through the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you bound our hearts to your divine
self, enveloping us within your all-embracing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You reign supreme!
We cannot conceal our pride in having you as our lord and master. Through your transcenden-
tal bhāgavata books, saturated with pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you destroyed the lurking snares
of false rascal guides and ideas. You reversed our terrible and frightening descent into the darkest
regions of material existence, rescuing us from the most ruinous disaster.
When we hear your transcendental words – the only words we desire to hear – then we know
you are truly present. It is you speaking, not some mere imitation.
Your lotus feet are the sole shelter from all sorrows. By following in your footsteps, we become
free from Māyā’s torturous slavery.
We may desire to serve you, but we must ask ourselves: Do we deserve it? Are we truly sincere,
without ulterior motives, or are we merely pretending to be what we are not? The price to pay for
serving you is sincerity and the willingness to draw closer to Your Divine Grace, submitting to
your orders. Only then will your torch of enlightening knowledge dispel the darkness in which we
are sunk.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are truly divine and sublimely sweet. Please eradicate our deep illusion.
Merely being near Your Divine Grace and hearing your words ends our endless confusion. By
regularly serving Your Divine Grace and discarding any false conceptions of “I” and “mine” as
mere rubbish, we win the supreme prize: the realization that we are entirely your property, and
that without Your Divine Grace we are lost.
Most Beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda
Your mercy and grace brighten our face, since you dwell in our mind.
With Kṛṣṇa’s name, the sweet refrain, your love our hearts to bind.
We cannot hide that you’re our pride; you are our lord and master.
Cracking the crooks by your pure books, you saved us from disaster.
Your words profound, the only sound our ears desire to hear:
And then we know, not vainest show, our Prabhupāda is here.
Your lotus feet, Māyā’s defeat, sole shelter from all sorrow,
They grant us all freedom from thrall, if in their footprints we follow.
We long to serve. Do we deserve? This question we should ask.
Are we so real, with no conceal? Or do we wear a mask?
To be sincere and draw more near will be the price to pay.
Your torch of light, with knowledge bright, will chase the dark away.
You’re so divine, sweet, and sublime. Please smite our deep illusion.
To be near you, just hearing you, ends our endless confusion.
To serve with pace your Divine Grace, our all we count as dross,
And win the prize: just to realize that without you we are lost.
Beloved Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, nothing occurs without Your supreme consent. Please allow us to
eternally remain inextricably absorbed in the remembrance of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Please shelter us
from Māyā’s forceful power of forgetfulness. Please, if that is also Your Lordships’ desire, let serv-
ing His Divine Grace’s lotus feet be the only reason for our existence and our sole aspiration life
after life.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are our life and soul! Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your menial and respectful servants at Radio Kṛṣṇa Centrale, Italy
(written by Narakantaka Dāsa)
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my daṇḍavat praṇāms at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace on this
most holy occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā!
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
As I sit down to write this offering, my heart is filled with gratitude. Your teachings are like a
guiding light in my life, illuminating the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and inspiring me to serve.
On this sacred occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we, the dedicated members of ISKCON’s
Padayātrā Ministry, humbly bow down at your lotus feet, offering our deepest gratitude and
devotion. Your divine teachings and unwavering dedication to spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness
continue illuminating my path and inspiring my service.
In 2024, we celebrated significant milestones, including the fortieth anniversary of the All-
India Padayātrā at Jagannātha Purī Dhāma. This journey began in 1984, and we’ve traversed over
300,000 kilometers, planting seeds of devotion in millions of hearts across India. Your vision has
empowered us to introduce the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra to countless villages, res-
cuing many from despair and igniting the flame of bhakti.
We have launched new initiatives, such as the Haryana-Punjab Padayātrā and the Maha
Kumbh Padayātrā, expanding our reach and impact. These efforts are a testament to your teach-
ings on the importance of taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every town and village. I am also happy
to share the news of an upcoming new Padayātrā in 2025 in Germany.
Your instructions have been the cornerstone of our efforts, guiding us to overcome challenges
and remain steadfast in our mission. Despite financial constraints and resource limitations, we
strive for excellence, inspired by your example of unwavering dedication and compassion.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to expanding our outreach, increasing book
distribution, and enhancing our digital presence. Our vision includes creating a Padayātrā Office
to support our initiatives and equip devotees with the tools needed to effectively share the mes-
sage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your life and teachings are a beacon of hope and inspiration. We are eter-
nally grateful for your guidance and blessings, which empower us to carry forward your mission
with unwavering dedication. Your words echo in our hearts:
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
“By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace
of the spiritual master, one cannot advance. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the
spiritual master. At least three times a day, I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus
feet of my spiritual master.”
With every step we take in the Padayātrā, with every book we distribute, and with every soul
we touch through the holy name, we feel your presence guiding us. Your vision of a world united
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness drives us forward, inspiring us to work tirelessly in your service.
On this auspicious day, I recommit myself and our entire Padayātrā Ministry to your mission.
May we always remain instruments of your compassion, spreading the nectar of the holy name
and your teachings to every corner of the world.
kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī
dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau
śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana
Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and
Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and
dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle
and with the ruffians because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-
pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus, they are engaged in mis-
sionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.”
With deep gratitude and eternal devotion to your lotus feet,
Sri Krishna Caitanya Swami
On behalf of the ISKCON Padayātrā Ministry
My dear eternal spiritual grandfather, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept my respectful obeisances at your lotus feet on the auspicious occasion of your
Vyāsa-pūjā celebration. Your mercy is like the limitless sky – vast, boundless, and ever-expanding,
encompassing all souls, regardless of their fallenness, within its all-embracing shelter. Just as the
cooling shade of the grand banyan tree provides refuge to the weary traveler, your divine mission
has given shelter to so many souls wandering in the scorching fire of material existence. By your
unrelenting compassion, you carried the transcendental sound of the holy names across oceans,
mountains, cities, and villages. You awakened the dormant love for Kṛṣṇa within millions of
hearts, and the prophecy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu – that His holy name would be chanted in
every town and village – has come to life before our very eyes.
You have given us the greatest gift of this age – harināma-saṅkīrtana. What can we say about
this gift, Śrīla Prabhupāda? The chanting of the holy names is not merely a ritual or a practice;
it is the very essence of our existence, the key to unlocking the doors of the spiritual world.
Through your mercy, the holy name is no longer confined to the sacred halls of the temple but
has now spread to the streets, to the hearts of people everywhere. This is your divine contribution,
and by your causeless grace, we, the fallen souls, have been entrusted with carrying forward this
mission.
You gave us the treasure of harināma-saṅkīrtana, and we are forever indebted to you for it. The
only way we can express our gratitude is by dedicating ourselves entirely to serving you and the
mission you so selflessly established. In every moment, we strive to fulfill your divine instructions,
remembering that every action, every word, and every thought should be directed toward the glo-
rification of Kṛṣṇa and the spreading of His holy names. And we know that this path is only made
possible through your mercy.
As we reflect on your blessings, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are filled with awe at the magnitude of
the mission you set in motion, and we are inspired to serve in whatever small way we can. By your
grace, the ISKCON Kirtan Ministry has completed one year of service as a humble instrument in
your divine plan. Our office, inaugurated on April 9, 2024, has grown into a beacon of devotional
creativity and outreach. It is in this sacred space in Pradhikaran, Nigdi, Pune, that we have been
able to serve the global ISKCON community through various initiatives – producing kīrtana
recordings, designing visually captivating posters, conducting online sessions, and fostering an
environment where devotees can immerse themselves in the mood of pure kīrtana.
The heart of our efforts, Śrīla Prabhupāda, has been our daily online Bhagavad-gītā sessions
titled “Facing Life’s Challenges – The Bhagavad-gītā Way.” These sessions, by your mercy, have
become a source of comfort and guidance for devotees from all walks of life. Countless souls,
searching for answers to their struggles and uncertainties, have found solace in Kṛṣṇa’s divine
words. The teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā have the power to transform lives, and we see this in the
transformation of many devotees who have attended these classes. They find strength, peace, and
clarity in Kṛṣṇa’s instructions, and their lives are slowly but steadily being shaped by the wisdom
you imparted to the world.
By your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, these online Bhagavad-gītā sessions have become a thriving
community, where devotees support and uplift one another in their spiritual journeys. It has been
an incredible joy to watch how devotees, after hearing the sacred teachings, feel inspired to serve
the community in a variety of ways. Many of them volunteer to moderate the sessions, answer
queries, and assist in the technical aspects of the programs. We have been blessed to witness the
growth of this devotional family, and it is our prayer that this outreach continues to expand and
that more and more devotees can benefit from the sacred teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā.
As we look toward the future, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we recognize the need to strengthen the role
of Vaiṣṇavīs in this divine movement. We have seen how many young women are eager to serve,
yet they sometimes feel unsure about how to navigate their devotional journeys, especially when
it comes to leadership roles. Inspired by your teachings, we are in the process of establishing a
dedicated online platform, Vaiṣṇavī Saṅga, where young aspiring Vaiṣṇavīs can receive guidance
and mentorship from senior and experienced devotees. This platform will offer structured training
in kīrtana etiquette, personal sādhana, leadership, and service, providing the necessary tools to
empower them as future leaders in the movement.
As more young girls attend our sessions and express their desire to serve, we feel an urgent
need to offer them the support they need to flourish in their spiritual lives. Our hope is that this
initiative will help foster a generation of strong, compassionate, and capable Vaiṣṇavīs, who will
carry forward the torch of devotional service with grace, strength, and humility.
At the same time, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we understand the importance of instilling the principles
of devotional service from an early age. We know that if children are exposed to the right teach-
ings early in life, they can grow up with a strong foundation of spiritual values that will guide
them throughout their lives. With this in mind, we have launched summer camps specifically
designed for children, where they are not only taught the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness but
also introduced to the art of proper kīrtana.
These summer camps have become a source of great joy for us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, as we watch
these young hearts engage in kīrtana with enthusiasm, innocence, and devotion. The children are
trained to play devotional instruments such as the mṛdaṅga, karatālas, and harmonium. From a
young age, they are taught the standards of pure devotional music, ensuring that they grow up
with the right understanding and respect for kīrtana. This early exposure to the holy name and
devotional practices will lay a strong foundation for their spiritual lives, and we pray that these
young devotees will continue to grow in their love for Kṛṣṇa as they mature.
Among all the initiatives that have been undertaken by the ISKCON Kirtan Ministry, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, there is one project that we place before you with the utmost prayer and hope. This
project is the Kṛṣṇa Conscious Kirtan Certification Course, which the ministry is proposing as
a certified course for ISKCON devotees worldwide. This course aims to provide devotees with a
structured, in-depth understanding of kīrtana standards, including both the art of kīrtana and the
deeper philosophy behind it.
The purpose of this course is to ensure that kīrtana, the highest form of devotional service in
this age, is practiced according to the highest standards. We want to preserve the purity of this
sacred art form, ensuring that future generations of devotees can participate in kīrtana with a
deep understanding of its significance. This course will provide devotees with the necessary train-
ing to not only lead kīrtanas with excellence but also to impart the correct standards of kīrtana
to others. It is our heartfelt desire that this course will become a valuable resource for ISKCON
devotees around the world, guiding them on the path of devotion through the practice of
harināma-saṅkīrtana.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are aware that we are merely insignificant instruments in your divine
plan, but by your mercy, even the weakest can accomplish the impossible. Please bless us with the
strength, intelligence, and determination to carry out these projects and initiatives. We beg for
your continued mercy, so that we may remain steadfast in our service, always with humility and
sincerity. We pray that you will guide us in all our endeavors, giving us the wisdom to make deci-
sions that are in accordance with your teachings and in line with the needs of the devotees.
As we continue on this path, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray that you will always keep us humble,
recognizing that it is only by your mercy that any of this is possible. Without your grace, we
are nothing. We are merely instruments in your hands, and we can only pray that we are able to
carry out your will to the best of our ability. We ask for your blessings so that we may remain ever
focused on our mission: to spread the holy names of Kṛṣṇa to every corner of the world, to inspire
others to chant, and to engage in the service of the Lord.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have already given us everything – your teachings, your instructions,
your guidance, and your boundless love. What can we possibly offer in return? All we can offer
is our hearts and our willingness to serve you in every way possible. Please accept our humble
prayers and bless us with the strength, intelligence, and love to continue carrying forward your
glorious mission. May we remain forever humble servants in your transcendental service, and may
we always remember the essence of your teachings: that everything in this world is meant to glo-
rify Kṛṣṇa and spread His holy name.
With the deepest gratitude and unwavering devotion, we offer ourselves at your lotus feet, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, praying for your mercy, your guidance, and your blessings. May your divine pres-
ence always inspire us to serve you with a heart full of love and devotion, and may we remain ever
committed to spreading the holy name of Kṛṣṇa to every corner of the world.
Your insignificant servant,
Stoka Kṛṣṇa Gopa Dāsa
Managing Director, ISKCON Kirtan Ministry
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious
occasion of Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā.
When asked, “What is justice?” the common responses include being treated impartially, equal-
ity before the law, fairness, and moral and legal righteousness. To be impartial means that one has
to act objectively, without fear or favor. Likewise, fairness incorporates the notion that the arbiter
is unbiased.
The Justice Ministry strongly advocates for such principles to be incorporated in decision
making when dealing with complaints. We live in the age of quarrel and hypocrisy and must
therefore be more mindful of our actions, both our words and our deeds, especially recognizing
how they impact the lives of others.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you gave us a wealth of knowledge and instructions, but mostly you
demonstrated through your dealings how an ideal leader should treat those who serve within
ISKCON. On October 4, 1975, in a room conversation in Mauritius, you said, “You have to spend
or waste gallons of blood before you can convert a person to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so difficult
task.” Much effort is invested in preaching and making devotees. We must be careful, then, how
we treat the devotees.
Vaiṣṇava-aparādha, offending devotees, is described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the “mad
elephant offense.” In your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.1.5 you state, “When a mad elephant
enters a beautiful garden, it destroys everything, leaving a barren field. Similarly, the power
of vaiṣṇava-aparādha is so great that even an advanced devotee becomes almost devoid of his
spiritual assets if he commits it. Since Kṛṣṇa consciousness is eternal, it cannot be destroyed alto-
gether, but advancement may be checked for the time being. Thus vaiṣṇava-aparādha is one kind
of impediment to devotional service.”
We therefore need to educate our devotee community about avoiding vaiṣṇava-aparādha com-
mitted in any manner whatsoever. Let alone the hurt and pain it causes another devotee, it also
impedes one’s own spiritual progress. Moreover, Lord Kṛṣṇa never forgives one who offends His
devotee.
If we conduct ourselves in a circumspect manner, always guarded against committing offenses
toward devotees, then we will not have so much conflict and complaining in our community.
By establishing ISKCON, you created the spiritual world on this planet, but because we are
in the material world, as diseased conditioned souls, we enter ISKCON like patients entering a
hospital. While you have administered the cure in the form of the holy names and strict adherence
to the regulative principles, some patients are bringing with them many lifetimes of conditioning
and therefore create some disturbances to others.
You took hippies and made them into devotees; you did not discriminate who was eligible to
become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa and who was not. That is how mercifully you blessed everyone.
Despite all the physical hardships you experienced when you first arrived in New York, you toler-
ated and taught, training the new devotees in every aspect of life, including cleanliness, cooking,
Deity worship, and a host of other services. It is because of how lovingly you cared for them
that to this day your sincere disciples continue to fulfill your mission relentlessly. You said that
Kṛṣṇa is more eager for us to return to Him than we are to go. He is like a loving father, ready to
embrace His wayward children. But, in fact, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have fulfilled this role in our
lives.
The only way we can repay this eternal debt is by cooperating with one another, serving your
mission and exemplifying the kind of conduct you would expect us, as your representatives, to
demonstrate.
We pray to be able to serve your ISKCON in a manner that pleases you, and we take this
opportunity to express our deep gratitude for your giving us shelter at your lotus feet. May your
glories be spread all over the three worlds!
Champakalatā Devī Dāsī, ISKCON Minister of Justice
One behalf of your servants at ISKCON’s Ministry of Justice
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my respectful obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
The global education sector has faced a complex array of new and intensifying challenges over
the last decade. These challenges stem from a confluence of factors, including technological shifts,
socioeconomic pressures, political instability, and environmental changes. Education systems in
various countries have been grappling with significant issues in recent years, and the solutions
implemented by these countries’ governments have often fallen short. Despite numerous attempts
to introduce new educational methods, students and teachers around the world are facing increas-
ing difficulties, and as a result, many are finding their health and well-being negatively impacted
due to the heightened pressure.
You explained very clearly the reason for the failure of the current system of education in your
purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.16.19: “Unfortunately, this spiritual education is completely
absent from modern human civilization. No one understands his real self-interest, which lies with
the spirit soul, not with the material body. Education means spiritual education.”
Your ISKCON Ministry of Education is working to fulfill that mission: to provide Kṛṣṇa
conscious education of high quality to everyone through temples, educational institutions, and
other global initiatives. The mission of your ISKCON Ministry of Education is to empower and
support educational initiatives and collaborations among educators, educational institutions,
and professionals. The ministry is working toward establishing and monitoring high standards
of Vaiṣṇava education. We are working on setting up processes, supervising the development and
execution of educational plans, and ensuring that these structures are delivered to high standards.
Through various initiatives, the Ministry is working on understanding and fulfilling the educa-
tional needs of Kṛṣṇa conscious families. We aim to make every temple an educational center and
a center of excellence.
You described your own educational mission in a Melbourne room conversation on April 20,
1976: “I have already explained, that this is my mission, to educate people to understand himself.
They are under this misconception that, ‘Every one of us, we are this body.’ That is misconception.
You must know who is within the body. That is real education.”
The problem we have with the modern educational system is that it’s like craftsmanship. You
clearly explained this in a lecture given in Miami on February 25, 1975: “This is not education, that
we have manufactured nice car or nice machine. That is called craftsmanship. That is not educa-
tion. Just like one electrician, he knows how to join the two wire and bring current. In India it is
called mistri. Mistri means worker. Because he knows that technical art how to bring electric cur-
rent, that does not mean he is educated. Education is different thing.”
Modern educational systems implemented by governments around the world, despite incor-
porating all sorts of advancements, have not been able to resolve societal issues. As a result,
frustration continues to grow among both students and teachers. While progress has been made
in increasing school enrolment globally, the last decade has seen persistent and, in some cases,
widening inequities. Disparities in access to quality education based on socioeconomic status, sex,
geographic location (urban vs. rural), disabilities, and displacement due to conflict or disaster
remain significant.
You explained in a lecture on the Bhagavad-gītā (13.1–2), given in Miami on February 25, 1975:
“Education means brahma-vidyā: to understand what is that living force within this body that is
working, what is his position, constitutional position, how it is working, wherefrom it has come,
so many things. That is called brahma-jijñāsā, to inquire about the spirit. That is education. So
that education is lacking. Therefore there are so many problems at the present moment. The prob-
lems are created. Just like if I do not give food to the driver, and he is entrusted with a nice car,
and he is not happy on account of not being properly taken care of, then he must create disaster.
There will be car accident. So that is happening. Nobody is taking care of the driver of this body.
No education is there. They are simply trying to rectify the defects in the body.”
There has been a growing recognition of the increasing mental health challenges faced by
students, influenced by academic pressures, social media, and global anxieties. Educators also
experience significant stress and burnout. Education systems are challenged to provide adequate
mental health support and create supportive learning environments.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your teachings emphasize the spiritual equality of all living beings, seeing
beyond material designations like race, gender, or socioeconomic status. This philosophical foun-
dation can drive initiatives to make education accessible to all, regardless of background, seeing
education as a fundamental right for the soul’s development.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s ISKCON Ministry of Education is working to provide the world with a
genuine education system based on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and all seventy volumes of your books.
These books are highly regarded by scholars for their authority, depth, adherence to the original
Vedic scriptures, and clarity.
Your servant of the servant,
Satyamedhā Gaurāṅga Dāsa
Executive Director, ISKCON Ministry of Education
