In 1972, Srila Prabhupada made a down payment on land in Juhu Beach, Bombay, intending to build Sri Sri Radha-Krsna a beautiful temple there.
Even though Srila Prabhupada had made a down payment on the land, the owner, who had a past history of shady dealings, had not yet handed over the land deed to ISKCON as he had promised he would do.
Srila Prabhupada saw indications that the owner might change his mind and decide not to sell the land. Or worse, he may try to cheat the devotees and keep the down payment.
In India, when one installs Deities on a piece of land, legally, it secures one’s hold on the land as the Deities become the proprietors and no one will dare to move Them. Therefore, to secure the Juhu land, Srila Prabhupada moved the Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari there as quickly as possible after giving the down payment.
Just after doing this, Srila Prabhupada also performed a ceremony to lay the corner stone for the temple he intended to build there, (another act that solidifies one’s right to keep and stay on a piece of land).
At first, due to lack of facility, the devotees had to worship Radha and Krsna in a tent.
After some years of intense struggle, Srila Prabhupada and his followers developed the land, relocated the previous renters and established a beautiful temple there that today hosts millions of people every year.
As humans, we have the chance to build such a temple … In our hearts.
Our bodies are like that Juhu land.
As Srila Prabhupada quickly installed the Deities on the Juhu land, we should also install Krsna in our hearts as soon as possible before death comes to cheat us, taking away our opportunity.
Making a firm vow to chant the holy names a fixed number of times each day, we lay the cornerstone for a temple in our hearts where we can properly worship Krsna.
As Srila Prabhupada pushed forward to secure the Juhu land, we must also push forward – against all odds – to ready our hearts for Krsna worship.
Before Srila Prabhupada purchased the Juhu land, it was infested with rats and mosquitoes and there were renters living on it who were not favorable to ISKCON. Today, a beautiful temple adorns that land in Juhu.
Similarly, our hearts may be overgrown with unclean desires; nonetheless, as we firmly keep our vow to daily chant the maha-mantra and to follow the regulative principles, we will see a beautiful temple erected in our hearts.
Vaisesika Das
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