The stars are simply reflecting the light of the sun like the moon does. Moon is also a star. Nakshatranam aham sasi “Of the stars I am the Moon…”

It is not difficult to understand. There is only one sun in the universe and any light we see anywhere is a reflection of the sunlight.

If you read Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 5 you will see how it is done. How the light of the sun is spread all over the universe with mirrors.

Prabhupada was always preaching, from the moment he arrived in the USA, and before also of course in India. He was never in “solitude.” He was always speaking about Krishna with everyone he met. Even in his household life after meeting his spiritual master he started Back To Godhead magazine and printed it every month and personally distributed the copies and preached to all the people he met. So, for Srila Prabhupada, there was never ‘solitude.’ He was always preaching and always found an audience to preach to.

Even at the home of Sally Agrawal in Butler, his first destination on arriving in the USA, Sally arranged many preaching arrangements for him at churches and social groups around the city. But ultimately Butler was too small for Prabhupada and he moved to New York City for preaching on a more grand scale.

The response was not immediate. Prabhupada spent almost 12 months in New York City before he got the very dramatic response we see in films like “Happiness on 2nd Ave.”. But before 26 2nd ave Prabhupada was staying in a loft with a friend and he was preaching in that loft and was having regular programs, and lots of people were coming, but we have no film of that and none of the ‘famous’ devotees had joined yet. So we don’t know very much about that time.

The thing is Prabhupada is a pure devotee of Krishna so anywhere he chanted Hare Krishna the people were attracted. That is the nature of the Hare Krishna mantra chanted by a pure devotee of Krishna. When a pure devotee of Krishna chants Hare Krishna the people are attracted. So Prabhupada was always chanting Hare Krishna and the people were always attracted to his chanting of Hare Krishna.

you can get it from https://krishnastore.com

Instead of reading through the entire article, I will take it in sections, and give my little thoughts in response to the text.

Yes,THE ROOT OF INCOMPETENCE, in every varna, is “selfish materialism”. The perfection of one’s God-given nature, according to one’s karmic rewards, is to please the Supreme Lord, Hari by one’s work. This applies accross the board, be one a brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, or Sudra (not by birth, but by one’s qualities and activities). Either we are trying to please ourselves, or we are trying to please Krishna. And Krishna has “programmed” the material energy, so that the self-centered orientation increases our grief. And this “programming” is Krishna kindness, in the hope that we will come to our senses. Here in the material world, we are all in therapy.

NO SENSE OF SPIRITUAL BROTHERHOOD:
In the material conception of life, one identifies with the material body as “me”. This material identity expands into the false conception of gender, family, society, race, nationality, etc. The false conception of “I” expands into the false conception of “mine”. In this way the material world becomes artificially divided into families, races, nations……all influenced by incentives towards imperialism, mutual exploitation, slavery, and wars. Whereas when Krishna his recognized as the Father of all, these various anomalies abate without separate endeavor.

The ONE-SIDED VIEW OF LIFE, viz. that our satisfaction depends on the satisfaction of our sense, of necessity puts us all in competition. In this way we become covetous, envious, resentful, and critical of each other. Whereas, we we become convinced that the satisfaction of Krishna’s sense is the goal and celebration of life, we realize harmony and prosperity without separate endeavor.

AMBITIOUS AND SELF-SERVING: If the satisfaction of Krishna’s senses is our common goal, no one’s work is at the expense of others. And, when the satisfaction of my senses is my goal, I am in competition with everyone. Everyone’s work becomes a threat to my sense of satisfaction. And I am forced to an adopt a “me first” mentality.

ALWAYS DISTURBED AND IRRATIONAL: The first basic understanding of spiritual life is that “I am not this body.” This is more than a sentimental slogan. Because I am spirit an not matter, no amount of material success, dominance, or pleasure can satisfy the spirit soul. Therefore real satisfaction is impossible. Therefore one becomes afflicted with the desire for “more”. Even the billionaire feels he needs another billion. This never-ending experience of incomplete satisfaction is conducive to feelings of frustration, which in turn becomes anger, which in turn becomes violence towards each other, both emotional and physical. Living in anger and frustration, he becomes mad, and devoid of reason.

HIS PERCEPTION IS BLURRED: Yes. Striving day and night to find satisfaction, like the donkey with a heavy load on his back, chasing a carrot suspended in front of him, always thinking, “One more step, one more step.”, he is chronically frustrated and exhausted. Intoxication becomes his shelter, his aspiration to find relief. In this way, his ability to make wise decisions becomes more and more impaired.

HE NEGLECTS GOD’S LAWS: Yes. Today we live in an atmosphere of phishing and scams. On our cell phone, on our computers….we are inundated with phishing and scams. And all of this is because the man in the street knows within his heart that the powers that run the nation are taking care of their own ambitions, at the expense of the public. It is not “government by the people, for the people”, but “government by the wealthy elite, for the wealthy elite.” Therefore the government of the nation is the biggest scam. And the man in the street follows suite. He wants a piece of the action, according to his lesser capacity “to lord it over”. When the people feel loved and cared for, everyone wants to participate in serving the needs of others. It becomes like the kingdom of Lord Rama. The increase in crime of every kind in the nation is nothing more than an indication of the corruption of those who run the nation.

The Vedic scriptures, given to us by Krishna Himself, through His bonafide representatives, instruct us in the basic sociological understanding that a ruler cannot be a businessman, a man who interested in financial power and profit-making. This creates a most conspicuous conflict of interest. When a business-minded person assumes the position of a government leader, his material nature (that of the low-born vaishya class) induces him to put the needs and interests of the people aside, and utilize his position of power to enhance his financial status. He profits by taking kickbacks from those who are corporate executives. In this way, the earth becomes polluted, the air becomes polluted, the water becomes polluted. His financial ambitions induce him to engage in imperialistic ventures that terrorize less powerful nations, by polluting their environments, and subjecting them to slavery in various ways. And in order to maintain these criminal financial ventures, he requires a strong army, with weaponry. Instead of utilizing the tax dollars of the public for their social needs, he uses this public wealth for these illegal military activities. Such a public leader decreases the taxation of the wealthy who promise to help him maintain his political position, and decrease the social services of the public at large.

Today the peoples of the word are subject to plagues (covid), earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, draughts, forest fires, hurricanes and tornadoes. All of this is because the people of the earth are engaged in breaking nature’s laws, which are God’s laws. Illicit sex, intoxication, meat eating and gambling are the basic 4 sinful activities, from which all sinful activity expands. And these sinful activities are supported by present day leaders who profit financially from the businesses that engage the public these sinful activities.

The bottom line is that the government leader has to be divorced from financial affairs other than taxation of the wealthy class for the spiritual and social welfare of the people of the state. If he has any financial inclinations, that is his immediate disqualification. furthermore, he must rule the nation under the spiritual guidance of the most spiritually evolved persons who are devotees of God. His ultimate responsibility is to rule in such a way that all the citizens, whether they are brahmanas, ksatrityas, Vaishyas, or sudras, are all making progress in their spiritual life, so that all of us can be on the progressive path of going back home, back to Godhead. If they are not oriented, heart and soul in this way…… they are not qualified to rule a nation.

My final words are to express my hope that one day I will have the opportunity to offer my respectful obeisances to my most senior godbrother, Siddhasvarupananda Goswami.

Hare Krishna!
Ishan das

My question is about that moment of transition from solitude to community. From your understanding of this period, what was the essential spark—the first crack in the ice of isolation—that allowed his message to finally connect? Was it a specific person he met, a particular lecture he gave, or simply the cumulative power of his personal example that began to draw those first few seekers?

All Glories to Prabhupada who bridged the East West spiritual divide of Bhārata-varṣa! May Lord Caitanya’s Mission continue🕉

Indians seem to have lost touch with the deeper values that once defined the soul of the nation. The India that many Westerners admire and learn from died a long time ago. What remains feels like a low-vibration, dark version of what it once was. Ironically, Indians are adopting the worst aspects of American culture, while many Americans are turning to India for spiritual wisdom.

That is when I realized that Lord Caitanya was the God for me!

Thank you! Hare Krishna!