Monday Morning Greetings 2026 #31 – To Relate, to Communicate, to Learn — The Foundations of Culture

I like this definition of culture: those qualities of a society that make a favorable impression on the mind to enable people to relate, communicate, and learn effectively. A person who embodies these qualities is cultured. I think of Śrīla Prabhupāda as a cultured person. One story comes to mind: In 1979, ISKCON Vrindavan asked me to visit Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja and invite him to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disappearance festival. Somehow the conversation turned to what he should focus on in his talk. Since Śrīla Prabhupāda had lived in his temple for a time and knew him closely, I suggested he look back and describe what he had seen in Śrīla Prabhupāda at that time that hinted at what he would become. He mentioned several things, but one that he said stood out: “His ability to relate with others. When an elderly person entered the room, Śrīla Prabhupāda became very respectful. With friends he was collegial, and with a child he was affectionate.” Anyone who knew Śrīla Prabhupāda and observed…