By Sankirtana Das
ISKCON’s North American Leadership Conference was held October 4-6th at New Vrindaban, West Virginia, gathering over 120 leaders from across the continent. Sankirtana Dasa, a long-time resident of NV, reflects on its relationship to Srila Prabhupada’s mood and mission, his experience and realizations attending some of the sessions, and insights from interviews with leaders over the multi-day gathering. He also includes participant feedback on the conference and the host community.
Prabhupada’s Vision:
“In the universe, there are so many men, animals, and plants, and beasts, and birds, and so many things. So we have to love everyone. That is universal. You cannot discriminate…” Srila Prabhupada declared in a lecture (New York, January 6, 1967). He spoke about his Movement incorporating a variety of elements, such as “love and trust,” as well as requiring “organization and intelligence.” He explained that despite the devotees’ shortcomings, still “their topmost intention is to serve Krishna” (Letter, February 4, 1972).
Prabhupada emphasized, “There is only one goal: to serve Krishna to one’s best ability. If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual” (SB 4.30.8 purport). He wanted his Movement to move forward in a mood of unity in diversity: “If we fight on account of diversity, then it is simply the material platform. Please try to maintain the philosophy of unity in diversity. That will make our Movement successful” (Letter, October 18, 1973).
Within the diversity, Prabhupada sought a mood of cooperation between the devotees. He also wanted devotees to study his books and understand his overarching intention for the Hare Krishna Movement: “And I am very much stressing nowadays that my students shall increase their reading of my books and try to understand them from different angles of vision. Each sloka can be seen from many, many angles of vision” (Letter, June 16, 1972).
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/the-north-american-leadership-conference-an-inspired-step-forward/
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