When Srila Prabhupäda arrived at London for the first time, on September 11, 1969, devotees received him with great honor. According to the Vaishnava Philosophy whatever honor offered to the spiritual master is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God is pleased if spiritual master is pleased. yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi. The spiritual master is the most confidential servant of God and he should be honored as good as God. The devotees of London received Srila Prabhupada with great honor. Srila Prabhupada said: "I am not very much fond of the reception given to me, but I want to know how people give reception to this movement.".
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Prabhupada's own spiritual master, had wanted Krishna consciousness in Europe. During the 1930s he had sent his most experienced sannyasis to London. One of these sannyasis (a godbrother of Srila Prabhupada) met Lord Zetland who was very interested in Indian philosophy. He was once the governor of Bengal. He asked: "Swamiji.. can you make me a brahmana?" The sannyasis replied, "Why not? I can. But you have to follow certain rules." Then the sannyasis explained to him that he should give up the four sinful activities of meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex. As soon as Lord Zetland heard this he said, "Oh, that is impossible." The sannyasis godbrothers of Srila Prabhupäda came back to India without much success.
In 1967 Srila Prabhupada visited London on his way to India. But at that time he stayed in London for a brief period of two days only. Later, in 1968, he sent three married couples - Mukunda and Janaki, Syamasundara and Malati (with their infant daughter, Sarasvati ), and Guru dasa and Yamuna, to London. He asked them to hold kirtan and distribute prasadam. And that was successful. The devotees also got opportunity to meet George Harrison of the Beatles, one of the most sought-after celebrities in the world. A few weeks before Prabhupada's arrival George Harrison also had released the Hare Krishna Mantra records, which sold 70000 copies on the very first day.
The movement had gained roots in England and when Srila Prabhupada arrived at London Heathrow Ariport many deovtees and reporters were crowded there.
One of the reporters asked Srila Prabhupada "What do you try and teach, sir?" Srila Prabhupada answered: "I am trying to teach what you have forgotten." Srila Prabhupada explained: "You have forgotten God. Some are saying there is no God and some others say God is dead. Few others say that God is impersonal or void. These are all nonsense. My mission is to challenge such atheistic people. Let any one come. I shall prove that there is God. There is God and we can see God face to face. If you are sincere and serious, it is possible. But unfortunately we are trying to forget God and therefore we are embracing so many miseries in our life. We are simply preaching that be Krishna conscious and be happy. Do not be swayed away by the nonsense waves of maya (illusion). If you want to be happy you have to take to this Krishna consciousness movement. Any one who is not Krishna conscious has no qualification. His only qualification is mental concoction harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna... All the problems will be automatically solved if we become Krishna conscious."
The reporters asked so many other questions about Billy Graham, the moon landing, the war in Ireland, and the whereabouts of Prabhupada's wife and children. They clicked his photos, thanked him, and dispersed.
In 1967 Srila Prabhupada visited London on his way to India. But at that time he stayed in London for a brief period of two days only. Later, in 1968, he sent three married couples - Mukunda and Janaki, Syamasundara and Malati (with their infant daughter, Sarasvati ), and Guru dasa and Yamuna, to London. He asked them to hold kirtan and distribute prasadam. And that was successful. The devotees also got opportunity to meet George Harrison of the Beatles, one of the most sought-after celebrities in the world. A few weeks before Prabhupada's arrival George Harrison also had released the Hare Krishna Mantra records, which sold 70000 copies on the very first day.
The movement had gained roots in England and when Srila Prabhupada arrived at London Heathrow Ariport many deovtees and reporters were crowded there.
One of the reporters asked Srila Prabhupada "What do you try and teach, sir?" Srila Prabhupada answered: "I am trying to teach what you have forgotten." Srila Prabhupada explained: "You have forgotten God. Some are saying there is no God and some others say God is dead. Few others say that God is impersonal or void. These are all nonsense. My mission is to challenge such atheistic people. Let any one come. I shall prove that there is God. There is God and we can see God face to face. If you are sincere and serious, it is possible. But unfortunately we are trying to forget God and therefore we are embracing so many miseries in our life. We are simply preaching that be Krishna conscious and be happy. Do not be swayed away by the nonsense waves of maya (illusion). If you want to be happy you have to take to this Krishna consciousness movement. Any one who is not Krishna conscious has no qualification. His only qualification is mental concoction harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna... All the problems will be automatically solved if we become Krishna conscious."
The reporters asked so many other questions about Billy Graham, the moon landing, the war in Ireland, and the whereabouts of Prabhupada's wife and children. They clicked his photos, thanked him, and dispersed.
