It is not possible to enjoy this material world nicely. This is called illusion. Everyone is trying to enjoy this material world very nicely. That is illusion. There is no nice enjoyment. You can rise up to a very nice post, just like the President Kennedy. Oh, with great endeavor he rose up to that post, and all of a sudden he was shot down. So this material world is like that. You cannot have, I mean to say, undeterred, without any impediment, pleasure. No. Every step you want to enjoy material enjoyment and you have to face every step danger also.

Dangerous Times

Taking the risk to spread Krishna Consciousness

PRABHUPADA: Today is an auspicious day because it is all arrangement of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, my beloved spiritual master. He is seeing. He had a great desire to preach Lord Chaitanya's message in the Western world. And I am sure he will be pleased to see so many young boys and girls are seriously engaged in preaching the gospel of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. That is my success.

So, His Divine Grace, my spiritual master, somehow or other liked me, that I should take up this responsibility. And on the first day I met him, I was at that time a very young man, a nationalist, and engaged in a very responsible office. So one of my friends casually took me. I did not like to go. But I am very much thankful to that friend, who is still living in Calcutta, that he forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see because in our house my father used to receive so many sannyasins, but I was not very much satisfied with their dealings. So I thought that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja might be a similar man. So what business I have got to see him? But this friend took me forcibly, that "Why not see the man?"

So I went on his request, and I was so profited. So on the first visit he asked me that "Educated boys like you, you should go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There is great necessity." So I replied that "We are foreign-dominated nation, India. Who will hear about our message?" Actually, at that time the foreigners were thinking Indians as very nonsignificant because in the face of so many independent nations, India was dependent. There was one poet, Bengali poet. He lamented that "Even uncivilized nations like China, Japan and Burmese..." Not Burma. Burma was also dependent. "They are independent, and only India is dependent on the Britishers." So anyway, my Guru Maharaja, he convinced me that "Dependence, independence, they are temporary. But we are concerned with the eternal benefit of the human kind, and therefore you should take up this matter."

So I never thought that I will have to take up this matter by his order. Because it is... This incident took place in 1922, more than fifty years. So anyway, so I was officially initiated in 1933, just before three years of his passing away from this mortal world. So at the last moment also, just a fortnight before his passing away, he wrote me the same thing. I wrote him one letter and just he replied the same thing that "You should try to preach this gospel amongst the persons who are conversant in English language. That will be very nice for you." So I was dreaming sometimes that my Guru Maharaja is calling me and I am leaving my home and going behind him. I was dreaming like that, and I was thinking, "Oh, I have to give up my home? My Guru Maharaja wants me to give up my home life and take sannyasa?" So I was thinking, "It is horrible. How can I leave my home?" This is called maya. Of course, it's a long story, but incidentally I am speaking to you because you are my dear children. So I was thinking that "How can I take sannyasa and leave my home, my children?" So that was a horrible thought for me, I tell you. I was thinking seriously, "Oh, I will have to take this course. Guru Maharaja wants me." But actually I did not like to give up my home life. But Guru Maharaja made me obliged to give up my home life. So now, by his order, or by his plan, I gave up my home life, I gave up a few children, but Guru Maharaja is so kind that has given me so many nice children.

So by serving Krishna, nobody becomes loser. This is my practical experience. So I am citing this example of my personal experience because... Just try to understand that before leaving my home was thinking that "I may be in great trouble." Especially when I left my home for your country in 1965 alone, the government would not allow me to take any money. I had only a few book and forty rupees, Indian forty rupees. So I came in New York in such condition, but by the grace of my spiritual master Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, and by the grace of Krishna, everything happens by combined mercy of Krishna and spiritual master.

In the Chaitanya-charitamrita it is said, guru-krishna kripaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. There shall be combined mercy of Krishna and guru. Then our mission of Krishna consciousness will be successful. This is the secret. Krishna is always within you. Ishvarah sarva-bhutanam hrid-deshe arjuna tishthati [Bhagavad-gita 18.61]. Therefore Krishna knows everything of your purpose, and He gives you opportunity to work as you have decided. If you decide to enjoy this material world, Krishna will give you intelligence how to become very nice businessman, nice politician, very nice cunning man so that you can earn money and enjoy senses. Krishna will give you intelligence. So many people are becoming very great in the estimation of material life. From very poor man, they are becoming millionaires. How? They have got intelligence, certainly. Without intelligence they cannot improve. But that intelligence is also given by Krishna. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishto: [Bg. 15.15] "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattah smritir jñanam apohanam cha: "By Me, there is memory and by Me, there is forgetfulness." So how Krishna is giving forgetfulness, also memory? That means according to my desire. If I want to forget Krishna and I want to enjoy this material world, He will give me necessary intelligence so that I can forget Krishna for good and I can enjoy this material world very nicely.

It is not possible to enjoy this material world nicely. This is called illusion. Everyone is trying to enjoy this material world very nicely. That is illusion. There is no nice enjoyment. You can rise up to a very nice post, just like the President Kennedy. Oh, with great endeavor he rose up to that post, and all of a sudden he was shot down. So this material world is like that. You cannot have, I mean to say, undeterred, without any impediment, pleasure. No. Every step you want to enjoy material enjoyment and you have to face every step danger also. This is the process. So one who is intelligent, as it is stated in the Chaitanya-charitamrita, krishna ye bhaje se bada chatura. Unless one is perfectly intelligent and perfectly cleansed, one cannot take to Krishna consciousness. So therefore guru-krishna kripa paya bhakti-lata-bija. Krishna is seated within everyone's heart. If we want Krishna sincerely, and how we want Krishna sincerely? That is the mercy of the spiritual master.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He gives the instruction that "Give up all this nonsense, your material activities. Just surrender unto Me." But people are not very interested. Even open declaration by Krishna, that "You just become surrendered unto Me. I will give you all protection from all sinful reaction. You just come to Me," but people still, they are so much attached to illusion, maya, that they cannot do it. But the spiritual master, he is so kind that he is begging from door to door, from country to country, from town to town, "My dear ladies, my dear gentlemen, my dear boys, my dear girls, please take to Krishna consciousness." So therefore he is doing very confidential service to Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme Lord. He gives simply orders. But the spiritual master executes that order practically. Therefore spiritual master is so dear to Krishna. Yasya prasadad bhagavata-prasadah. So guru-krishna kripaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151].

So the idea is that whatever I have brought Krishna consciousness message to your country, that is due to the grace of His Divine Grace, of my spiritual master, who is sitting here. And I am very glad that you have come here from San Francisco for your going to London mission. And in auspicious moment you have come so that there was going to be a ceremony, initiation ceremony. So it is all auspicious symptoms, and let us be situated firmly in Krishna consciousness and act this missionary work, spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world. That will make our life successful, and those who will take up this line of activities, they will be also very happy. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that "Anyone who will take this message of Krishna consciousness will be happy, and they will feel obliged to Me." That is stated in Chaitanya-charitamrita, that "When people will take this message of Krishna consciousness all over the world, in every city and every town, they will feel obliged to Me." Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said like this. We have read in the Chaitanya-charitamrita.

So actually the world is feeling so much disturbed by the arrangement of..., misarrangement, not arrangement—misarrangement of the leaders of the society. They have forgotten Krishna or God. They are thinking that by material advancement they will be happy, but that is never possible. Just try to spread this message of Krishna consciousness. It is very easy and very fact. Everyone can accept. So on this occasion, when you have come here from San Francisco prepared to go to London, so my hearty welcome to you, and please do this missionary work very nicely and Krishna will be pleased upon you. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, na cha tasman manushyeshu kashchin me priya-krittamah [Bg. 18.69]. Anyone who is trying to spread this Krishna consciousness movement is the most dear friend of Krishna. If you want to please Krishna, Krishna says that "Anyone who is trying to spread this Krishna consciousness movement, he is My most dear friend." Na cha tasman manushyeshu kashchin me priya-krittamah: [Bg. 18.69] "Nobody is so dear to Me as such person who is trying to spread Krishna consciousness movement in the world." So you are all pledged to satisfy Krishna. So if you take up this work seriously, Krishna will be very much pleased upon you. Thank you very much.