ISKCON temple is a group of temples that is situated across the whole globe in many cities. The full form of ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. However, You might have questions that deal with how this temple was established and the purpose of these temples.
Do you know the man in the images above?
Yes this is The Father or the founder of ISKCON – A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Or better known as Srila Prabhupada
About Srila Prabhupada:
A boy was born in Calcutta’s Tollygunge community on September 1, 1896, the day after Janmashtami (the auspicious arrival of Lord Sri Krishna). Therefore,His father, Gour Mohan De, and mother, Rajani, named him Abhay Charan (one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Krishna’s lotus feet).
Srila Prabhupada ji was born on this day!
An astrologer prepared the horoscope for the baby and revealed: When this child reaches the age of seventy, he will cross the ocean, become a great teacher of religion and establish 108 Krishna temples.
And this is exactly what happened.
A Small point to add…
Over five hundred years ago, Lord Sri Krishna appears as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa, a village in West Bengal. So,The purpose of His appearance was to inaugurate the Sankirtana Movement, the Yuga Dharma for this age of Kali. Accordingly, He predicted that His commander-in-chief would appear to accomplish this mission.
Yes… Srila Prabhupada appeared to fulfill this prophecy.
Accomplishments of Srila Prabhupada–
Scholar, philosopher, cultural ambassador, prolific author, spiritual teacher, social critic, and holy man are all terms to describe him at various times. He is all of these things and more.
At the age of 69 (in the year 1965) he went to the United States of America and incorporated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Evidently,By the next 11 years, he circled the globe fourteen times inspiring his followers, delivering lectures, and discussing the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness with all interested persons.
The first ISKCON temple,estb in New York when Prabhupada first visited USA!
Srila Prabhupada arrived in the US during the decade of discontent; there was widespread dissatisfaction with America’s war with Vietnam. The American youth created their counter-culture popularly known as hippie culture. Thus, Srila Prabhupada presented this alternative.
Srila Prabhupada brought the Hare Krishna Movement to the public eye by:
- Chanting in the parks,
- Distributing the Back to Godhead Magazine,
- Conducting love feasts,
- Delivering lectures from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam in a rented store-front.
Thus, he attracted many youngsters, who gradually became his disciples.
And..
Besides,To revive the Krishna conscious tradition, he envisioned God-centered self-sufficient farm communities based on the principles of Simple Living, High Thinking. Consequently,In 1972, he started a gurukul in Dallas, Texas – an educational institution set up according to the traditional Vedic model. He established more than 108 temples and instructed his disciples that no one should go hungry within a 10 mile radius of an ISKCON temple.
- The Main Principle of Prabhupada ji– The Supreme Lord appears in the form of Deities to give us an opportunity to serve Him; and by rendering services to the Deities with utmost care one can advance spiritually. When we are attracted to the beautiful form of the Deities, we will forget our attraction to material things; and by serving the Deities we will develop pure love of God and thus our lives will be successful.
“Religion means to know God and to love Him.”
― A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, The Science of Self-Realization
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/59327.A_C_Bhaktivedanta_Swami_Prabhup_da
Teachings of Srila Prabhupada
According to Srila Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness is not an arm-chair philosophy or a part-time religion; it is a way of life. Thus, He presented the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness very extensively in his books. Undoubtedly, Srila Prabhupada is the spiritual ambassador who visited our planet to give us the message of Godhead and invite us to come back home – back to Godhead.