Prabhupada’s Dreams Become Reality

During the first several months at 26 Second Avenue, Prabhupada had achieved what had formerly been only a dream.  He now had a temple, a duly registered society, full freedom to preach, and a band of initiated disciples.  When a godbrother had written asking him how he would manage a temple in New York, Prabhupada had said that he would need men from India but that he might find an American or two who could help.  That had been last winter.  Now Krishna had put him in a different situation.  He had received no help from his godbrothers, no big donations from Indian business magnates, and no assistance from the Indian government, but he was finding success in a different way.  These were “happy days” he said.  He had struggled alone for a year, but then “Krishna sent me men and money.”

Yes, these were happy days for Prabhupada, but his happiness was not like the happiness of an old man’s “sunset years” as he fades into the dim comforts of retirement.  His was the happiness of youth, a time of blossoming, of new powers, a time when future hopes expand without limit.  He was seventy-one years old, but in ambition he was a courageous youth.  He was like a young giant just beginning to grow.  He was happy because his preaching was taking hold, just as Lord Caitanya had been happy when he had travelled alone to South India spreading the chanting of Hare Krishna.  Prabhupada’s happiness was that of a selfless servant of Krishna to whom Krishna was sending candidates for devotional life.  He was happy to place the seed of devotion within their hearts and to train them in chanting Hare Krishna, hearing about Krishna, and working to spread Krishna consciousness.