60 YEARS

Monday, July 13th, 2026

Serpent River, Ontario

An overnight drive took us north to the small town of Serpent River, an indigenous community, and to be more specific, a roadside park where you have a natural waterslide in the river creating a fun white water experience. One of our boys, Suci, captured on his phone a young bear who slid off a smooth-faced rock, tossing it into the water, then who came out and shook off all the wetness. A mishap maybe, but charming nevertheless, when you think about it.

Meditation, thought, remembrance – This is the place for contemplation for sure. After my dip in the river, I was encouraged to give a class of my pilgrimage experiences while under the cedars and pines. This is indeed a very special day for us as it was 60 years ago on this day that our ISKCON society was incorporated in New York City. We had a brief session where I asked the young members of the bus tour what they thought Prabhupada's contributions were to the world. It is important we know what our dear father, Prabhupada, had benevolently achieved.

On the previous day, on Centre Island I initiated three candidates for their first diksha and two received their second before the deities of Jagannatha. In my speech I mentioned that souls have come forward to the culture established by our Founder Acharya, Prabhupada. He is clearly the Prime Guru for all of us. Current gurus, myself included, cannot claim that followers belong to me. They are at the mercy of His Divine Grace and that I am there to assist him as a teacher.