Srila Prabhupada had stared a successful pharmaceutical company to support his family in 1932, however in 1950 he left his home to dedicate his life to preaching. He took the order of sannyasa (full renunciation from material life) in 1959. Soon after this he wrote 3 volumes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, finishing the first 12 cantos. As with ‘Back to Godhead’ he wrote, edited, proof read, paid for paper and had the books printed and bound. He sold the books in the larger Indian cities through book shops and agents.
However, his spiritual masters final ordering was always in his mind, and as he now had 3 books in English he was determined to go to America. He viewed America as a very influential country and he was convinced that if they took up Krishna consciousness other countries would follow.
Eventually he travelled to America via a cargo carrier called the Jaladuta. During the 35 day crossing he suffered 2 heart attacks.
He stayed in a small rented storefront on the 26 2nd avenue in Lower Eastside. It was here that he met a few sincere searchers for spiritual knowledge who gradually found at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, who came to affectionately call him ‘Swamiji’.
Srila Prabhupada chose Tompkins Square Park as the venue for the first outdoor chanting session, with the most interested of the searchers. Onlookers were amazed and those chanting were filled with joy and pride. Soon regular parties were happening, and the first devotees were initiated.
It was not until 1966 that Srila Prabhupada officially incorporated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
After these official beginnings ISKCON grew and developed over a wide area in a relatively short space of time.
After the New York devotees had become more steady in their spiritual practice Srila Pubhupada moved on to San Francisco so as to establish the movement on the West Coast. The movement attracted many ‘hippies’ who spread spiritual love and peace throughout the community.
Now there were ISKCON devotees and disciples Srila Prabhupada sent disciples to preach in other parts of the world and establish Krishna conscious centres. They started by spreading their message in London then later they moved into Germany via Berlin then into India while the word was still spreading quickly through the USA.
By 1977 Srila Prabhupada had been preaching in the west for 11 years, he had created 108 centres world-wide, written 51 volumes of spiritual literature travelled the world 8 times, initiated 5000 disciples, created the worlds largest vedic literature publisher (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) and set up a scientific preaching academy (The Bhaktivedanta Institute). Sadly, he passed on from this world in that same year on November 14th.
His death did not mean the development of ISKCON to a stand still, it continues to grow and spread to this day. However his death did cause ISKCON to split into two groups, over arguments as to who should be Srila Prabhupada’s successors.
After Srila Prabhupada’s departion from this world 11 of his senior disciples declared themselves as his successors (illegally in the eyes of some as he had never said this should be so). However in the following years these ‘Guru-successors’ fell into serious moral difficulties and criminal activities, this was combated by electing more ‘Guru-successors’ who also fell spectacularly from grace (this is still happening today, Gurus are temporarily suspended or replaced).
It was then proposed that Srila Prabhupada did not appoint a successor as he intended to remain ISKCON’S Guru through a system of representational ceremonial priests (know as ‘ritviks’). This idea was met with expulsion and its followers were banned from temples.
‘The Final Order’ was later published, taking the world by storm, it stated that Srila Prabhupada appointed rivik priests, not good-as-god Gurus. ISKCON extremists wanted the paper banned and existing copies burnt, and anyone caught with a copy expelled from the movement. This led to the formation of the ISKCON Revival Movement (IRM), who wish to implement ‘The Final Order’, a number of ISKCON temples have joined the IRM. To this day ISKCON remains divided, and the issues is still widely disputed.
(Information in this section gained form www.iskconbangalore.org and an email received from President of ISKCON Calcutta)
A second modern Hindu group is Shirdi Sai Baba (Shridi is a village in India and Sai Baba is ‘Divine mother and father’ or the ‘divine god’.
Sai Baba was founded by Sathya Sai Baba, who was born on November 23rd 1926 in Puttaparthi, South India. His family were devout Hindu followers, his original name was Sathya Narajan Raju.
Strange things happened in his home shortly after his birth, musical instruments played themselves and a cobra appeared next to the infant without harming him, or so legend says.
When he was 14 Sathya Narajan Raju proclaimed he was an incarnation of Sai Baba from Shirdi village, and from then, went by that name. He declared his religious mission on October 29th 1940.
The first Sai Baba (a holy man) had begun the Muslim-Hindu unity and was influenced to teach the Hindu traditions. In 1918, before his death, he proclaimed he would be reborn 8 years later. The second Sai Baba had to continue this mission, turning people toward god, whatever gods name is (Allah to some, Lord to others) they believe that there is really only ‘one god the god, he is omnipresent’ and ‘one religion, the religion of love’. Sai Baba also wanted to turn people to living moral lives and build a world community based on peace.
The groups spread quickly (and is continuing to do so today), the ideas were welcomed and acted apon by many.
World figures published in 1993 reported there were close to 10 million devotees, 1200 centres in 137 countries. The message spread (carried by Gurus such as Narayana Baba) through Europe but never reached high popularity in America (Gurus still taught religious ideas there and there are reports of growing groups in North America) but a Sathya Sai Newsletter is published by a S.A.I foundation in California.
(Information in this section gained from www.religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu)
From these descriptions it is clear that there are many different Hindu groups today, all of which are different in many ways, they have different histories and different beliefs.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Email received from Adridharan Das (president of ISKCON Calcutta and chairman IRM).
- www.iskconbangalore.org
- www.religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu (/nrms/shirdi.html)
- www.saibabaofshirdi.net
- www.iskcon.org
- www.geocities.com/athens
- www.stir.ac.uk
- www.religious,ovements.lib.virginia.edu
- Email received from Adridharan Das.
- www.iskcombangalore.org