1965: It Was a Very Good Year

Abstract

The article "1965: IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR" by Bruce N. Scharf and Steven J. Rosen, posits that the year 1965 was pivotal for the introduction of Vaishnavism to the West by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (Srila Prabhupada). The authors argue that three significant concurrent events facilitated Prabhupada's mission: changes to U.S. immigration laws, a transformative papal decree (Vatican II) that encouraged interfaith dialogue, and the rise of the counterculture movement. These factors created a uniquely receptive environment in the West for Prabhupada's message, enabling the growth of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The article highlights scriptural prophecies and statements by earlier sages within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition that foretold the global spread of Krishna devotion, suggesting a "divine arrangement" in the timing of Prabhupada's arrival.