Seven purposes of ISKCON
The best example of pure devotee is His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Pabhupada. He began chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra under a tree in New York’s Tompkins Square Park, in 1966 and a huge crowd gathered, but he just did his chanting with closed eyes.
Thereby he inaugurated the western advance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s glorious Sankirtana movement. On July 13th, 1966 Srila Prabhupada incorporated ISKCON New York, and in Autumn of 1966, he established the ISKCON Press, which clearly demonstrated his emphasis on the importance of publishing and distributing his authorised books.
(Srila Prabhupada was Empowered & Sent By Krishna – Proofs! READ HERE!)
Since that time, many millions of his books have been distributed throughout the world, translated into many different languages.
Srila Prabhupada incorporated ISKCON just in one month after starting a class on Bhagavad-gita thrice in a week at 7:00 p.m in a shabby shop at the bowery. Not many people were coming because nobody knew. Srila Prabhupada would sit on the floor on the mat and chant kirtan and give class. Bowery street was the worst, most decrepit rundown, dirty, filthy and crowded place in New York. The drunkards would come, sit there and drink very cheap alcohol and stay in flop houses at night. They would drink so much then they would vomit and urinate. They would pass out on the sidewalk and sometimes they would die. There were dead corpses, but the young people were living there because the rents were very cheap. Srila Prabhupad was staying in such a dirty place.
During an evening darshan in Tehran, Srila Prabhupada said, “If you want to know Krsna, then you have to know from the people who are dealing with Krsna. That’s all. They have no other business. Our Krsna consciousness movement means we are dealing with Krsna. That’s all. We’re writing books, so many books for Krsna. We are preaching and going country to country. We simply deal with Krsna. Therefore the movement is known as “Krsna consciousness.” Somebody suggested, “Why don’t you write ‘God consciousness’?” No, if I say “God consciousness,” they’ll bring so many gods. It is very simple. If we take it seriously, then the benefit is there. But if we hesitate, it is our misfortune.”
(What is the Status of Srila Prabhupada in Goloka – Manjari or Sakha? READ HERE!)
Seven purposes of ISKCON
Within ISKCON’s articles of Incorporation, Srila Prabhupada included seven purposes of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness quite similar to those presented in his prospectus for The League of Devotees, which he founded in Jhansi, India in 1954.
(a) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of the values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
(b) To propagate a consciousness of Krsna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
(c) To bring the members of the society together with each other and nearer to Krsna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the Quality of Godhead (Sri Krsna).
(d) To teach and encourage the ‘sankirtan’ movement, congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(e) To erect for the members and for society at large, a Holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krsna.
(f) To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
(g) With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
Srila Prabhupada’s total dependency is on his Guru and Krishna’s mercy! Nothing else!
At a certain point Srila Prabhupada was not having anything, he was sitting on a mat, barefoot, not having money to eat, but Srila Prabhupada wasn’t seeing what there was, but what it would become. That’s the brilliance and nobody else had that vision.
Let us do all we can to fulfil the dreams of Srila Prabhupada and the above Seven purposes of ISKCON. It will make him pleased.
(Srila Prabhupada’s Achievements between 1965 to 1977! READ HERE!)