Cornerstones

In less than one month, Srila Prabhupad had done the impossible: He’s laid the cornerstones for his main three temples in India, despite all odds: Naxalite bandits, a near-Communist government, floods, cold, heat, lack of money, envious opponents and god-brothers, caste goswamis, a central government under martial law with strict rationing of construction materials, shaky legal standing, and a handful of worn-out devotees. The lands we’ve acquired are so old, with so many contending proprietors, and so big and in such vital locations, to even think about owning these pieces was almost impossible; we are recent arrivals, with very little organization or social standing. And yet, despite all these obstacles, Prabhupad’s unrelenting desire to please Krishna somehow prevailed: he did it! Seeing all this from the inside, writing the letters, making the phone calls, late-night strategy sessions–I was in total awe. This was Superman beyond anything yet, and just getting started.