A gift to Swamiji

Satyaraja: While still at 26 Second Avenue (the devotees would soon relocate a few blocks north), Brahmananda gave a gift to Swamiji - a small globe. "I got these little markers, too," says Brahmananda, "which were specifically meant to mark off sections on the globe. I got them in the color blue - for Krishna, of course - and I put a marker on every city in which we had a center. Swami loved it, and he kept it on his desk. At the time, we had about fifteen centers, and we watched it grow: London, Montreal, Germany, Boston, Santa Fe, L.A., Buffalo, Washington, Philadelphia..." Inspired, Swamiji and his early disciples were delighted as his movement expanded, slowly but surely.

This was prior to Swamiji's initial trip to India in 1967. Having returned, with improved health, he began extensive traveling to spread Lord Chaitanya's teachings around the world at a more rapid pace - training disciples, opening temples, farm communities, restaurants, and educational institutions. And, once the BBT was fully established, he continually produced volumes of translations and commentary, serving to inform his ever-increasing number of disciples and all who were interested. His movement seemed unstoppable, and his globe was overrun with markers.