By Sankirtana Das (ACBSP)
There is a saying, “Think globally, act locally.” And that’s what Srila Prabhupada did when he began his mission in 1966 on NYC’s Lower East Side. In those days, the counterculture—young people dissatisfied with a war-driven, materialistic society—gravitated to New York and to Haight-Asbury in San Francisco. These were the first two places where the Hare Krishna Movement took root in the West.
During the early years of the movement, many young people were willing to enter ashrams, live communally, and immerse themselves in a new spiritual culture. That environment helped the Hare Krishna Movement grow.
Today, devotees need to go a step further. Rather than expecting people to come to us, we need to reach out to those who are searching for spiritual meaning, as well as those who want to establish peace, prosperity, and social well-being in a confused and chaotic society.
In a talk Prabhupada gave in his small storefront on December 24, 1966, he appealed to his audience: “And this is the only movement for re-spiritualization of the whole world. And those who are intelligent, they should come forward and cooperate with this movement. We have started this movement in a humble way, but we are inviting cooperation of people who are interested for the peace of the world.”
For the Hare Krishna Movement to grow in the West, devotees need to establish genuine relationships within their countries, cities, and communities. With other voices whose aspirations are compatible with the universal principles of Dharma: Truthfulness, Compassion, Internal and External Cleanliness, and Self-sacrifice. That means finding common ground and raising our voices together to work for the good of the whole.
When devotees become effective voices for these principles in their countries and communities, people will begin to recognize, “Oh yes, this is what the Hare Krishnas believe, and these teachings are also relevant to the concerns of our time.”
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/raising-the-voice-of-dharma-in-a-confused-world/
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