Talk:A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada/GA1

GA Review

Comments

• I think the article is not too far from achieving GA status, although a few improvements would help. --Shruti14 ^{t c s} 02:43, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Comments by Kensplanet

A great article. But since this is a crucial topic, let us analyze this article against the GA criteria.

• Lead
• Lead is too. lenghty.......Too. much data which should not be present in the Lead is present.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Sanskrit: अभयचरणारविन्द भक्तिवेदान्त स्वामीप्रभुपाद, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bengali: অভযছরণারবিন্ড ভক্টিবএডান্ট স্বামীপ্রভুপড) (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977), was the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a movement to propagate Gaudiya Vaishnavism of Hinduism, not only in India, but also throughout the whole world, a devotional yoga tradition that is popularly known as the "Hare Krishna". Born as Abhay Charan De, in Calcutta, he was educated at the prestigious local Scottish Churches College. Before adopting the life of a pious renunciate, vanaprastha, in 1950, he was married with children and owned a small pharmaceutical business. He later took a vow of renunciation, sannyasa, in 1959 and started writing commentaries on Vaishnava scriptures.

In his later years, as a traveling Vaishnava sadhu, he became an influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnava theology to India and specifically to the West through his leadership of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) [move ISKCON to first para, 3rd line, then you need not use International Society for Krishna Consciousness again and again], founded in 1966. As the founder of ISKCON, he has "emerged as a major figure of the Western counterculture, initiating thousands of young Americans." [this sentence is not required, then it appears as too. much of ISKCON details are incorporated] Despite attacks from the anticult groups, he received a favorable welcome from many religious scholars, such as J. Stillson Judah, Harvey Cox, Larry Shinn and Thomas Hopkins, who praised Prabhupada's translations and defended the group against distorted media images and misinterpretations. In respect to his achievements, religious leaders from other Gaudiya Vaishnava movements have also given him the credit.

He has been described as a charismatic leader, in the sense used by the sociologist Max Weber, as he was successful in acquiring followers in the United States, Europe, India and elsewhere. After his death in 1977 his ISKCON, an authentic form of Hindu Krishnaism based on Bhagavata Purana, [avoid mentioning details again and again on ISKCON] continues to grow, and is respected in India, but there have been many squabbles about leadership among the followers. [This is a squabble within ISKCoN, not to be mentioned in the Lead. as this is not an article on ISKCON] Prabhupada is sometimes criticised by Neo-Vedantic relativistic philosophers, mainly due to uncompromising and 'unkind remarks' against non-Vaishnava systems, particularly 'the mayavadis'. This may be taken in the perspective of general underlying hostility of Neo-Vedantists towards fundamental truth of bhakti, devotion, and orthodox Vedanta system presented by Prabhupada being in conflict with heterodox views of mayavadis. [These details need not be mentioned] As such his Hare Krishna movement is accepted by the academics as "the most genuinely Hindu of all the many Indian movements in the West".

• The basic problem in the Lead is too. much of unnecessary details are incorporated. Too. much of ISKCON details. There is no mention of his books, death, Monument in the Lead. Atleast a sentence from each of these sections will do. Copyedits will surely improve the article.

• Biography

• Early life

Born 1st September 1896, next day after, Janmastami, one of Hindu most important holidays [Why don't you just cut it out at Janmastami since it is wikilinked], in a humble house[Humble is not required at all] in the Tollygunge suburb of Calcutta, he was named Abhay Charan, "one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Lord Krishna's lotus feet." Since he was born on the day of Nandotsava (day of legendary Krishna's father, Nanda, traditional festival in honor of Krishna's birth) [Agin too. much of details, prefer only one] he was also called Nandulal. His parents names were, Sriman Gour Mohan De and Srimate Rajani De, [were] devout Vaishnavas. In accordance with Bengali tradition, his mother had gone to the home of her parents for the delivery, and only a few days later, Abhay returned with parents to his home at 151 Harrison Road in Calcutta, where he was brought up and educated.

He received European lead education in a well reputed amongst the Bengalis Scottish Churches College, Calcutta, as many Vaishnava families sent their sons there. [Wouldn't He received European lead education in Scottish Churches College, Calcutta, a reputed college amongst the Bengalis, as many Vaishnava families sent their sons there.] The professors, most of whom were Europeans, were known as sober, moral men, and its believed[If you are not sure whether the students received good education, better not post it here] the students received a good education. The college was located in north Calcutta, not far from Harrison Road where Abhay's family lived.[Details already given in 1st para] During his years in the college, Prabhupada was a member of the English Society as well as that of the Sanskrit Society, and it has been suggested that his education gave a foundation for his future leadership.[There should be no doubt] He graduated in 1920 with majors in English, philosophy and economics.

• Religious carrier

In 1922, when Prabhupada first met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta [he] requested that Prabhupada spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language. Later in 1932 Prabhupada became a formally initiated disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta and in 1944 started the publication of Back to Godhead, an English language fortnightly, for which he acted as publisher, editor, copy editor and distributor. From his front room at Sita Kanta Banerjee, Calcutta, he conceived, wrote, edited, and typed the manuscript for the magazine. He himself designed a logo, a long rectangle across the top of the page. In the upper left-hand corner was a figure of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, effulgent with rays of light like rays from the sun [Details trivial] and first editions greeted his readers by the motto: "Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness".[26] In his fist magazine he wrote: “ Under the circumstances since 1936 up to now, I was simply speculating whether I shall venture this difficult task and that without any means and capacity; but as none have discouraged me, I have now taken courage to take up the work. ”

— A.C.Bhakivedanta Swami, Back to Godhead magazine(Vol.1, 1-4, 1944)[26]

In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society recognised Prabhupada's scholarship with the title Bhaktivedanta, (bhakti-vedānta) meaning "one who has realised that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the end of all knowledge" (with word Bhakti, indicating devotion and Vedanta indicating conclusive knowledge).[overflow of details] His later well known name is Prabhupada. It is a Sanskrit title ( prabhupāda), literally meaning "he who has taken the position of the Lord" where prabhudenotes "Lord", and pāda means "position" that is also explained to mean "at whose feet masters sit". This name was used as a respectful form of address by his disciples from late 1967 early 1968 onwards. Previous to this, as with his early disciples, followers used to call him "Swamiji". [Throughout till now, you have used Prabhupada and you are giving the explanation now. Moreover, so much details on his name here would mean unnecessary details. Install a seperate section on Name and give all explanation there.]

From 1950 onwards, Prabhupada lived at the medieval temple in the holy town of Vrindavan, where he began his commentary and translation work of the Sanskrit work Bhagavata Purana. Of all notable Vrindavana's temples, the Radha-Damodara mandir had at the time the largest collection of various copies of the original writings of the Six Gosvamis and their followers - more than two thousand separate manuscripts, many of them three hundred, some even four hundred years old. [Cannot understand how are the Six Gosvamis related with his carrier His guru in the sampradaya, tradition, of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had always encouraged Prabhupada, "If you ever get money, print books", referring to the need of literary presentation of the Vaishnava culture.

• Renunciation

Keshavaji Gaudiya Matha was the place where Prabhupada used to live, he had written and studied in the library of this building, here he edited the Gauḍīya Patrikā magazine and this is the place where he donated the murti of Lord Chaitanya who[which] stands on the altar beside[s] the Deities of Radha Krishna (named Śrī Śrī Rādhā Vinodavihārījī).[Suggestion is try to shorten sentences as much as possible] During his visit in September 1959 he entered the doors of this matha[Gaudiya Matha wikilink repeated] dressed in white, as Abhay Babu, but would be leaving dressed in saffron, a swami. In this matha, in Mathura Vrindavana, Prabhupada took Vaishnava renunciate vows,sannyasa, from his friend and godbrother Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Maharaja , and following this he singlehandedly published the first three volumes covering seventeen chapters of the first book of Bhagavata Purana, filling three volumes of four hundred pages each with a detailed commentary. Introduction to the first volume was a biographical sketch of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.[You have mentioned details of book here when there is a section for Books below] He then left India, obtaining free passage on a freight ship called the Jaladuta, with the aim and a hope of fulfilling his spiritual master's instruction to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu around the world. In his possession were a suitcase, an umbrella, a supply of dry cereal, about eight dollars worth of Indian currency, and several boxes of books.

• Mission to the West

Prabhupada sailed to USA in 1965. His trip to the United States was not sponsored by any religious organisation, nor was he met upon arrival by a group of loyal followers. As he neared his destination on the ship, the Indian freighter Jaladuta, the enormity of his intended task weighed on him.[Personal opinion] On September 13 he wrote in his diary, "Today I have disclosed my mind to my companion, Lord Sri Krishna." On this occasion and on the number of other, Prabhupada, called on Krishna for help in his native Bengali. Examining these compositions, academics regard them as "intimate records of his prayerful preparation for what lay ahead" and a view on "how Bhaktivedanta Swami understood his own identity and mission."[How is this related] “ I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place? How will I make them understand this message of Krishna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified and most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own. ”

By journeying to America, he was attempting to fulfill the wish of his guru, possible only by the grace of "his dear Lord Krishna".[Stop mentioning again and again about his mission] It is in July 1966 "global missionary Vaishnavism" was brought to the West by Prabhupada, "the soul agent", founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York City. Prabhupada spent much of the last decade of his life setting up the institution of ISKCON. Since he was the Society's leader, his personality and management were responsible for much of ISKCON's growth and the reach of his mission.

In the twelve years from his arrival in New York until his final days he:

• circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents[17]
• introduced Vedic gurukul education to a Western audience
• directed the founding of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, which claims to be the world's largest publisher of ancient and classical Vaishnava religious texts

• founded the religious colony New Vrindavan in West Virginia,
• authored more then eighty books (with many available online) on Vedantic philosophy, religion, literature and culture (including four published originally in Bengali)

• introduced international celebrations in the capitals of the world like that of Jagannatha processions
• watched ISKCON grow to a confederation of more than 108 temples, various institutes and farm communities[Please write this in the normal paragraph form only and not in Bullets]

Through his mission, Prabhupada followed and communicated the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and introduced bhakti yoga to an international audience. Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism this was viewed as the fulfillment of a long time mission to introduce Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings to the world.

In his discussion with a historian Arnold J. Toynbee in London, Prabhupada is quoted as saying: "I have started this Krishna Conscious Movement among the Indians and Americans and for the next ten thousand years it will increase."

• Books and Publishing

It is believed that Prabhupada's most significant contribution, are his books. Within the final twenty years of his life Prabhupada translated over sixty volumes of classic Vedic scriptures (such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam) into the English language. For their authority, depth, and clarity, his books have won praise from professors at colleges and universities like Harvard, Oxford, Cornell, Columbia, Syracuse, Oberlin, and Edinburgh, and his Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is was published by Macmillan Publishers, in 1968 and unabridged edition in 1972, and is now available in over sixty languages around the world and some other books by Prabhupada are available in over eighty different languages.

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was established in 1972 to publish his works, it has also published massively researched multivolume biography, Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, that in opinion of Larry Shinn will "certainly be one of the most complete records of the life and work of any modern religious figure". Prabhupada reminded his devotees before his death, he would live forever in his books. He would remain present for them as spiritual master, guru by these means. Prabhupada had instilled in his followers an understanding of the importance of writing and publishing not only with regard to his works, but also their own initiatives.[Personal opinion] His early disciples felt Prabhupada had given them Back To Godhead for their own writings from the very start.

• Views on other religious traditions

Prabhupada considered Moses, Jesus, and Mohamed to be empowered representatives of God, describing them within his writings as pioneers of the same essential message of dedication to God with love and devotion. “ "Actually, it doesn't matter – Krishna or Christ – the name is the same. The main point is to follow the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures that recommend chanting the name of God in this age." ”

Other typical expression presents a different perspective, where Prabhupada would point out that "today I may be a Hindu, but tomorrow I may become a Christian or Muslim. In this way faiths can be changed, but dharma" is a natural sequence, a natural occupation or a connection and it can not be changed, because it is permanent, according to him. While ISKCON theology of personal god is close to Christian theology, both personal and monotheistic, being a preacher of bhakti and a missionary he sometimes would add, that "already many Christians have tasted the nectar of divine love of the holy name and are dancing with karatalas (hand-cymbals) and mridangas (drums)." Prabhupada's approach to modern knowledge is also seen in sectarian Orthodox Judaism, where the skills and technical knowledge of modernity are encouraged, but the values rejected. For example, while higher education in engineering or accounting is permitted, the liberal and fine arts are dismissed as "useless" and "immoral". Some of his representations are believed to affect women adversely and are male-centred, others are tender and celebratory. Prabhupada himself teaches a dualism of body and soul and that of the genders.[Which religion are you talking about here] Similar to many traditional religions he considers sexuality and spirituality as conflicting opposites. However among some liberal male followers there is a positive recognition of Prabhupada's own example in applying the spirit of the law according to time, place, person and circumstance, rather than literal tracing of the tradition.[Which religion is this?]

In line with traditional Vaishnava theology, Prabhupada was critical of the monist philosophies of Hinduism representing the Gaudiya Vaishnava devotional point of view and often calling the Neo Vendanta adherents of monism with 'unkind words'. In the view of some Gaudiya-Vaishnava philosophy he followed is neither fully dualistic or monist (Achintya Bheda Abheda), as a devotional path Gaudiya Vaishnavism has much more in common with the Dvaita, as opposed to the Advaita schools. It can be specifically noted that Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, mentions in Indian Philosophy that N

A prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava figure, Shrivatsa Goswami, who as a young man had met Prabhupada in 1972, affirmed the significance of book publishing and distribution in spreading the message of Chaitanya in an interview with Steven Gelberg: “ Making these Vaisnava texts available is one of Srila Prabhupada's greatest contributions. Apart from the masses, his books have also reached well into academic circles and have spurred academic interest in the Chaitanya tradition ... The significance of making these texts available is not merely academic or cultural; it is spiritual. ”[You are basically talking about Hinduism here. Then why do you mention other religions in the section.]

• [What about Views of other religions on Prabhupada. You have mentioned what he says on other religions, but you have not mentioned what other religions like Christianity, Islam, Jainism think about Praphupada. For NPOV purposes, you have to mention something.]

• Within India

Initially, Srila Prabhupada began his public preaching mission in India. He founded the League of Devotees in Jhansi in 1953.

Following the establishment of temples and centres in the United States and Europe, Prabhupada returned to India in 1971, holding many public programs which were well attended. From 1971 onwards, the movement became increasingly popular and spread throughout the country, Prabhupada was particularly eager to see the progress at "the impressive temple project in" Mumbai which he and his disciples had fought very hard to establish, with large temples in Mayapur and Vrindavan to follow in mid 1970s.

In 1996, the Government of India recognized Prabhupada's accomplishments by issuing a commemorative stamp in his honor as a part of Prabhupada Centennial celebrations.

Speaking at the inauguration of ISKCON's cultural center in New Delhi in 1998, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then India's prime minister, said: “ If the Bhagavad Gita, the holy text of the Hindu traditions, is printed in millions of copies and scores of languages and distributed in all nooks and corners of the world, the credit for this great sacred service goes chiefly to ISKCON. For this accomplishment alone, Indians should be eternally grateful to the devoted spiritual army of Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, and to his followers. . .

The arrival of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the United States in 1965 and the particular popularity his movement gained in a very short span of twelve years must be regarded as one of the greatest spiritual events of the century. ”

— Atal Bihari Vajpayee - April 1998

[What about details of ISKCON in India? Like how many are there, where all they are]

[What about institutions (other than ISKCON) outside India....Where do you put it. No details on it.]

• MONUMENTS
• Too. may Images.

• Well, I think this article can easily attain GA status. Well a few copyedits will do. And some more details need to be incorporated. But right now, its not possible for me to list it as a GA due to these issues. Anyway, Good Luck, and I hope to see this article very soon at GAN. Thankyou,--->>>> Kensplanet^Talk_E-mail^{Contributions}