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Today here at Bhaktivedanta Ashram is the most auspicious appearance day of our beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). His Divine Grace is dear to thousands and millions of people all over the world as the greatest exponent of the science of Krishna consciousness because it was he who in the brief time span of eleven years successfully established the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world. He will recognized in history as the savior of this universe because the influence of his teachings will gradually inundate the entire universe. There are no words to sufficiently honor him. It is to him that we are eternally indebted for liberating us from the miserable cycle of birth and death. Let us all be fully absorbed in eternally serving his universe-deliverance mission.



Sankarshan Das Adhikari
 

Prabhupada Showers Mercy on the Entire Universe

http://www.backtohome.com/images/Prabhupada/sp_big_smiling.jpg
 

Question: Can I Worship Krishna Without Worshipping India?

 Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of Your Lotus Feet.

I have a question for which I cannot find the answer. When we are in the ISKCON temple, I sometimes feel some sadness. I don't know how to ask about it properly. I hope that You will understand me rightly. I love very much the divine way of Krishna consciousness, I understand the meaning of going back to our real home. I take it very seriously. I can't live without God. I understand it well. But the problem in my mind is that it is hard for me to worship another culture. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So He doesn't belong to any country. So why do we need to worship India? Please excuse me. Maybe it is not a very intelligent question. But I often think about it. Why God, why Krishna came only to India? He is all-powerful. Why Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the God Himself, came only to India?

By "worshipping India culture" I mean that Krishna devotees for example wear saris, play on Indian music instruments, dream to visit India, etc. I like it very much. Indian music is beautiful.  Girls in saris are beautiful.  But on the other hand, I just don't feel like it is very dear for me, as if my real spiritual home is India. Maybe I am asking that because I have never been to India. Or maybe it is just not that important. Can I worship Krishna, can I love Krishna without worshipping India or it's culture ?

Bowing down at Your Lotus Feet.

Your unworthy servant
 

Answer: We Worship Krishna, Not India.

We do not practice Indian culture. We follow the Krishna culture of the spiritual world. So it is not that our practices are Indian. They are Krishnian. If they appear Indian, it is because in former times India wholeheartedly embraced Krishna culture.

Krishna appeared in India because India is where His favorite river, the Yamuna, and His favorite mountain, Govardhana, are located. Lord Caitanya appeared in India because it was the home of Krishna consciousness on this planet at the time of His appearance. He could have then spread the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world, but He left that special credit to our beloved Srila Prabhupada.,

So don't worry. We are not asking you to become Indian or to adopt Indian culture. We are simply asking you to become Krishna conscious so that you can awaken the original pure love of God that is now lying dormant within your heart.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari
 

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