Remembering Srila Prabhupad

Today, being Srila Prabhupad's disappearance day from the material world, I dropped a quick visit at the temple before heading out for a program at the University Campus. The temple room was silent, except for the low humming sound coming from a Prabhupad chanting machine and dimly lit with the candles after the Damodara prayers.

I sat before Srila Prabhupad and tried to chant a round so that he would continue to shower the mercy he has been showering on me for the past few months. On my way as I waited for the cab to take me to the University, I was feeling sad that on this occasion, a lot of us couldn't be there in the temple due to other preaching commitments.

Now home from the University Program, as I sorted through my computer, I came across this one picture:
This was taken outside 26th 2nd Avenue on September 15th at a P-Sena Vyasa Puja Celebration there. Here, Amul being hoisted by a few of the other youth devotees opened the shutter that had closed the sign "Matchless Gifts".

This was the place where it all began; the store front from where the seed was planted for one of the biggest, fastest and most prominent spiritual revolution in the 20th century. The reason why I felt this picture was special was because of a very cool underlying meaning to this picture.

As a 2nd generation devotee (well almost!), I always wonder what it could have been to meet Srila Prabhupad. Offlate, I have been watching Yadubar Prabhu and Visaka Mtjs Following Srila Prabhupad collection and each remembrance and memory there makes me want to go back to the 60s and be with Srila Prabhupad, serve him, learn from him, get chastised by him. In Philly recently, hearing Mother Rukmini share some personal memories of Srila Prabhupad, it made me want to go back in time even more.

But then, when I saw this picture, I realised that Srila Prabhupad is still here, very much. He is there in his spiritual sons and daughters, he is there in the books he wrote, he is there in the recordings of lectures, he is there in every page of the Back to Godhead, he is there in every single temple room and he is definitely present in that Matchless Gift Storefront.

The picture to me symbolizes the future. Srila Prabhupad's mission rests on our hands, our shoulders and to revive and keep this glorious teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to go on, we need to re-open those shutters which we have put over the matchless gift which Srila Prabhupad has given us. The only way to reach those shutters is with the help and association of devotee friends, who like you aspire to do that. They say that a picture speaks a 1000 words. Well this picture does.

My first visit to 26th 2nd Av., made me realise how fortunate I was to be given an oppurtunity to be a part of the movement. It also got me closer to trying to fathom the mercy of Srila Prabhupad. It made me value his sacrifises and it showed me my responsibility.

Today, on the occasion of his disappearance day, as I think more; yes a lot of us weren't at the temple, because we were trying our level best to get the message of Bhakti out, to either Yoga enthusiasts at a Yoga Studio, or curious students at the University.

As I try to discover my responsibilty towards the mission and towards serving Srila Prabhupad, I sincerely hope I can do justice to everything and will be able to play a significant role in helping him, Guru Maharaj and other exhalted devotees take the chanting of the Maha Mantra to every town and village.

And I know that every youth in ISKCON desires that and we will strive together to make it possible.

I hope Srila Prabhupad is smiling at all this...