CC Antya – Following the Order of the Spiritual Master

Giriraj Swami:

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Reading from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta concluding words.

Now, does everyone understand English? Srila Prabhupada actually finished Caitanya-caritāmṛta when he was in Juhu, Bombay. And every morning, we used to go to Srila Prabhupada ‘s quarters before six o’clock to accompany him on his morning walk. So, one morning I got to the top of the stairs and Hari Kaish Maharaja, was Srila Prabhupada’s secretary, was very excited. And he said that during the night Srila Prabhupada had finished Caitanya-caritāmṛta and that he had dictated some concluding words which were wonderful glorification of his spiritual master. And then, Srila Prabhupada said that the devotees should celebrate by having a feast. So, we will read now from the concluding words.

CONCLUDING WORDS

Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974-corresponding to the 10th of Kārtikka, Caitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rāma-ekādaśī-we have now finished the English translation of Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorised order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vāṇī, his words. There are two ways of association-by vāṇī and by vapu. Vāṇī means words, and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vāṇī continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vāṇī, not the physical presence. Bhagavad-gītā, for example, is the vāṇī of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, Bhagavad-gītā continues

COMMENT

So, the main theme of Srila Prabhupada’s concluding words is the order of the spiritual master. Actually, according to writing technique, there should be a topic sentence for each paragraph and a topic paragraph for each work. And actually, in the very first sentence Srila Prabhupada says that he finished Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorized instruction of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And then, he discusses the importance of the spiritual master’s words, that physical presence may or may not be appreciable but the spiritual master’s words are always there.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

In this connection we may call to memory the time when I was fortunate enough to meet His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometime in the year 1922. Śrīla Prabhupāda had come from Calcutta to Śrīdhama Māyāpur to start the missionary activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha.

COMMENT

Actually, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura performed great austerities in Mayapur. He took a vow to chant one million holy names of Krishna. And he was also living in a room in seclusion and he would just eat once a day. Some devotees would bring maybe some simple Khichdi. And, he would just eat the Khichdi once a day and chant the holy name. Then from Mayapur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura came to Calcutta to preach.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

He was sitting in a house at Ulta Danga when through the inducement of an intimate friend, the late Śrīman Narendranātha Mallika, I had the opportunity to meet His Divine Grace for the first time. I do not remember the actual date of the meeting, but at that time I was one of the managers of Dr. Bose’s laboratory in Calcutta. I was a newly married young man, addicted to Gandhi’s movement and dressed in khadi. Fortunately, even at our first meeting, His Divine Grace advised me to preach the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in English in the Western countries. Because at that time I was a complete nationalist, a follower of Mahātma Gandhi’s, I submitted to His Divine Grace that unless our country were freed from foreign subjugation, no one would hear the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu seriously. Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada explains that he was always a leader among his friends. And, his friends wanted him to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to give his opinion or his approval. So, Srila Prabhupada, he was ordered by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura at the very first meeting to preach. But Srila Prabhupada tried to argue that India was still dependent. Even uncivilized countries like china were independent but India was still dependent, so how would people hear the message of India? But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura defeated Srila Prabhupada’s argument. And, he explained that Krishna consciousness has nothing to do with material conditions like dependence or independence. That Krishna consciousness is transcendental, and it can act upon anyone under any circumstance and that in fact, Krishna consciousness is the only solution to the world’s problems.

So, Srila Prabhupada remarked that previously, he had never been defeated by anyone in any argument, and for the first time he was defeated by his guru Maharaja. And he commented that he was happy, that he was defeated by his guru Maharaja.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity. I was also convinced that the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was then in the hands of a very expert devotee and that surely the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would spread all over the world. I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

COMMENT

So, one may receive an instruction from the spiritual master but he may not be able to execute the instruction immediately for various reasons. But the disciples should always remember the instruction and wait for the opportunity when he will be able to execute it. Actually, when Srila Prabhupada was staying in Gorakhpur as the guest of Hanuman Prasad Poddar, The Gita Press, somehow one issue of BTG came for Srila Prabhupada, one advanced copy and it happen to have an article by me. It was actually the first article, I had ever written. Because I joined in Boston and Satsvarupa Maharaja was the temple president. He was also the editor of BTG. So, he always encouraged the devotees to write. So, I was a very new devotee but still somehow I got the inspiration to write an article about the spiritual master. And Satsvarupa Maharaja helped me and eventually the article got published. But even now, the issues are planned months in advance. So, even if the article is accepted today, it may not appear for several months.

So, by the time the article appeared, I had already left Boston and come to India. And the issue finally came out when I was in Gorakhpur with Srila Prabhupada. So, Srila Prabhupada, he read the article, and then, he called me to speak to me. And actually, I never really had such a meeting with Srila Prabhupada. That was still only new in the movement. Anyway, Srila Prabhupada said that, “I read your article and it was very nice and you should write.” And then he said, “You can stay with me and travel with me and I will train you how to write.” But just within the next day or two, one of the leading devotees, Hansadutta Prabhu, he wanted to form a world traveling saṅkīrtana party and, he wanted me to be on the party. So Srila Prabhupada agreed.

So, first we went to Agra. And from Agra, we went to Aligarh and in Aligarh, we got a telegram that Srila Prabhupada was organizing the first big pandal program in India and that he would be reaching Bombay shortly and we should go ahead. So, we went and at the time Shyamasundara Prabhu was the temple president in Bombay. And actually, the devotees there were very dynamic and very capable. So, the work was divided among the different devotees. Different devotees had different departments. And Shyamasundara wanted me to raise funds. So, I told him that Srila Prabhupada ordered me to write. Shyamasundara said, “This is one time we can go into any man’s office and get an advertisement for the souvenir. We won’t have such opportunities again.” He said, “You can write any time, but this is the one time, we can go into any man’s office and ask for an advertisement. And then after the pandal then you can write.”

So, what he said made sense. And I knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with the authorities, so I agreed. Then after some days or weeks, Srila Prabhupada arrived and generally after coming from the airport, he would go to his room and sit behind his table, and the devotees would come and sit in the room and Srila Prabhupada would like glance at them and exchange a few words with them. So, when he came to me he said, “So Giriraj, how was your writing coming?” I was so baffled; I didn’t know what to say. Then Srila Prabhupada said, “All right! we will discuss later.” So later, after all the devotees had left the room, Srila Prabhupada asked me to come back. He said, “How is your writing going?” So, I explained that Shyamasundara had asked me to raise funds for the pandal, and he gave the argument that this was a very special opportunity that we could just go into any big man’s office and ask for funds. And I knew also that you wanted us to cooperate with the authorities, so I agreed. Did I do the right thing? So, Srila Prabhupada replied that one may postpone the order of the spiritual master but one may never neglect it. And then he said, “My guru Maharaja also ordered me to write but because I am busy traveling and preaching in India, I am also not able to write.

So, here Srila Prabhupada says that although, he received the order to preach at the very first meeting in 1936, he was not able immediately to execute the order. But he always remembered the order. In fact, later when Srila Prabhupada finally did come to America and began to preach, one disciple asked Srila Prabhupada that, “You received the order of your guru Maharaja in 1933 and you only came to America in 1965.” Maybe a reporter asked. And Srila Prabhupada said that spreading Krishna consciousness in the western world is no small thing. So, I was preparing and therefore, Satsvarupa Maharaja titled the first volume of Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, A Lifetime in Preparation, because his whole lifetime was spent preparing to execute his Guru Maharaja’s order and mission. Although, among devotees sometimes Srila Prabhupada said that, “I received the order of my guru Maharaja but because I was newly married and had a small child, I could not join immediately.” But then Srila Prabhupada said, “That was my mistake, I should have joined immediately.”

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

In this way I passed my life as a householder until 1950, when I retired from family life as a vanaprastha.

COMMENT

Actually, everyone at the age of fifty in principle should take vanaprastha.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

With no companion, I loitered here and there until 1959, when I took sannyāsa. Then I was completely ready to discharge the order of my spiritual master. Previously, in 1936, just before His Divine Grace passed away at Jagannātha Purī, I wrote him a letter asking what I could do to serve him. In reply, he wrote me a letter, dated 13 December 1936, ordering me, in the same way, to preach in English the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as I had heard it from him.

COMMENT

So basically two instructions. Although, in one sense, the two are the same. One that he should preach in English and two that he should write.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through this magazine.

COMMENT

By the way, about a week ago, I received a message from His Holiness Jaya Advaita Swami Maharaja, who was the editor of Back to Godhead now. And he wrote that he was going to Nairobi for some work for BTG especially, and that he could either return via Dubai or via Mauritius, so what did I suggest? So I suggest that definitely, he should come to Mauritius. So hopefully in the beginning of February, His Holiness Jaya Advaita Swami Maharaja will be visiting here for the first time. And seeing some of the activities, he may be inspired to write something about the movement here for BTG. And, he will certainly want us to encourage the subscription of BTG on the island.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through this magazine. After I took sannyāsa, a well-wishing friend suggested that I write books instead of magazines. Magazines, he said, might be thrown away, but books remain perpetually. Then I attempted to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before that, when I was a householder, I had written on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and had completed about eleven hundred pages, but somehow or other the manuscript was stolen. In any case, when I had published Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, in three volumes in India, I thought of going to the U.S.A.

COMMENT

Actually, Srila Prabhupada commented that most Swamis thought of going to London but somehow, he thought of going to New York. He said Krishna dictated that he should go to America.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

By the mercy of His Divine Grace, I was able to come to New York on September 17, 1965. Since then, I have translated many books, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Teachings of Lord Caitanya (a summary) and many others.

COMMENT

So after coming to America, he really took up the order of his guru Maharaja and translated so many books.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura would simply read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when the foreigners would learn the Bengali langage to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The work on this translation began about eighteen months ago. Now, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and his Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura, it is finished. In this connection I have to thank my American disciples, especially Śrīman Pradyumna dāsa Adhikārī, Śrīman Nitāi dāsa Adhikārī, Śrīman Jayādvaita dāsa Brahmacārī and many other boys and girls who are sincerely helping me in writing, editing and publishing all these literatures.

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words.

COMMENT

So here, Srila Prabhupada is elaborating on the point of following the words of the spiritual master saying that, he is receiving inspiration from the words of the spiritual master in the heart.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

As it is said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.

COMMENT

So generally, we hear that the Lord is in the heart as Paramātmā. But here, Srila Prabhupada says that yes, the Lord is in the heart where He is accompanied by all His devotees and associates. In other words, he is saying that along with the Supersoul, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja was also there in the heart and guiding him from within his heart, by his words. Someone might ask, “Well, how could the spiritual master be in so many hearts at the same time?” But Srila Prabhupada has explained that the soul in the liberated stage has inconceivable potency. Actually, there are descriptions in the Kṛṣṇa book also, which indicate that just as the Supreme Lord can expand, the Lord’s associates can also expand. Of course, not all of the Lord’s associates are jivas, some of them are in another category. But it is described that Vāsudeva and Devaki were present in sixteen thousand one hundred forms. When Krishna married the sixteen thousand one hundred princesses, they were present. Anyway, it is a little difficult to understand but the simple point is that Srila Prabhupada said it, so we accept it that the soul has inconceivable potencies, when the soul is liberated. Another example that we find that many of the associates of Lord Krishna in kṛṣṇa-līlā also appeared as associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in gaura-līlā.

So, that was the context in which the disciple asked that, “How could the same person be present simultaneously in kṛṣṇa-līlā and in gaura-līlā?” And, Srila Prabhupada said that in the liberated condition, the soul has inconceivable potency. So, we also if we have sufficient attachment to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Krishna, when we are liberated we can also join the pastimes of Krishna and the pastimes of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work.

COMMENT

Once, one newspaper reporter came to interview Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles and asked about Srila Prabhupada’s books. So, Srila Prabhupada replied that actually, he is not the one who was writing the books, actually, Krishna was writing the books. So, the reporter became flustered, confused. So, one of Srila Prabhupada’s secretaries tried to explain Srila Prabhupada’s words in a way [break in audio 00:34:41–00:34:42] that they appreciate. So the secretary said, “Well actually, it is not that Krishna personally writes the books but that He gives Srila Prabhupada the intelligence to write the books.” Then Srila Prabhupada contradicted the secretary. He said, “No, Krishna writes the books directly.” So here, Srila Prabhupada may be giving a further [break in audio 00:35:14] as to how the whole process works. Because he was saying that Krishna in the heart with His devotees including Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura are in the heart. And here, Srila Prabhupada specifically gives credit to his spiritual master for giving him the inspiration in the matter of writing Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace.

COMMENT

Actually, Srila Prabhupada said that if we do something and give the credit to Krishna [break in audio 00:36:27–00:36:39] credit for themselves, there will be so many problems.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. Certainly if His Divine Grace were personally present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubiliation, but even though he is not physically present.

COMMENT

[Break in audio 00:37:06–00:37:38]. And furthermore, he is able to, like Prabhupada said, see all those activities [break in audio 00:37:47–00:38:01] the spiritual master is not finished when the body is [break in audio 00:38:05–00:38:15] spiritual master is present in such a way that he can continue to give guidance and inspiration to his disciples, and see their activities, and take pleasure in their success.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very pleased by this work of translation. He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, has formed to execute the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura.

COMMENT

So, ISKCON is an extension of Srila Prabhupada. And just as Srila Prabhupada personally dedicated his life to the service of his spiritual master, so he also dedicated ISKCON to the service of his spiritual master. And just as he always considered how to execute the order of the spiritual master, we should also always consider how to execute the order of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura which comes to us through Srila Prabhupada.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation.

COMMENT

[Break in audio 00:40:04–00:40:07] doesn’t want us just to distribute the books, he also wants us to read the books. And we are very happy now the Bhaktivedanta College has come to encourage serious and systematic study of Prabhupada’s books.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation, and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future. On this occasion therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

COMMENT

So this is Srila Prabhupada’s direct request that we make his books available for people to read especially the sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So anyone who is distributing the sets is following a direct instruction of Srila Prabhupada’s. Of course, in principle all of our activities in ISKCON are in pursuance with Srila Prabhupada’s direct instructions. But we are reading it here now that Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to cooperate and distribute his literatures especially mentioned here, Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dated November 10, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu, Bombay.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ki jaya!
Transcendental Book Publication and Distribution ki jaya!

Any questions or comments? Yes.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:43:12–00:43:26]

Giriraj Swami: He says that Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva in the form of shiva-lingam on the shore at Rameshwaram. Could I explain this līlā?

The Lord likes to worship His devotee. The Lord likes to serve His devotee. Unfortunately, ignorant persons or foolish persons try to say that Lord Shiva is superior to Lord Rama because Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva. But the fact is that the Lord likes to worship His devotee. He likes to serve His devotee. Sometimes Krishna washed the feet of Sudama Vipra. It doesn’t mean that Sudama Vipra is greater than Lord Krishna. But Lord Krishna takes pleasure in serving His devotees. Krishna obeyed the commands of Arjuna. Arjuna ordered Lord Krishna, “Bring my chariot between the two armies, so I can see the soldiers assembled.” But it doesn’t mean that because Krishna was acting as the charioteer of Arjuna and following the orders of Arjuna, that Arjuna is greater than Krishna. But Krishna likes to serve His devotees and worship His devotees.

Some persons give the argument that because Rāvaṇa was a devotee of Shiva, therefore, Lord Rama wanted to take Shiva’s permission before He killed Rāvaṇa. But Srila Prabhupada said that the people who make such statements are rascals. And the reason they are rascals is because they are basically accusing Lord Shiva of being a rascal. That he doesn’t give protection to his devotees. What they are saying in effect is that Lord Shiva gave permission to Lord Rama, “Yes, Rāvaṇa is my devotee, you can kill him.”

So, Srila Prabhupada is saying that they are rascals, who are accusing Lord Shiva of giving permission to Lord Rama to kill His devotee. He is saying, He doesn’t give protection to His devotees. The fact is that Lord Shiva had no choice because Lord Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Srila Prabhupada mentions that when Rama was fighting with Rāvaṇa, Parvati said to Lord Shiva that, “Rāvaṇa is your great devotee, and now He is in trouble. Why don’t you do something to help him?” And Lord Shiva replied that, “When Lord Ramachandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants to kill Rāvaṇa, what can I do?” So, kṛṣṇa māre rākhe ke, kṛṣṇa māre rākhe ke. ‘That if Krishna wants to kill someone, no one can save him and if Krishna wants to save someone, no one can kill him. So Krishna is Supreme. Do you have any other idea?

Sometimes Krishna carries the shoes of Nanda Maharaja on His head. It doesn’t mean that Nanda Maharaja is greater than Krishna. But it is Krishna’s pleasure to serve His devotees. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada says that the impersonalists want to become one with God, but the devotees can become greater than God. Not that they actually become greater, but Krishna voluntarily accepts a subordinate position for His own pleasure because people are always praising Krishna, offering hymns and prayers. So Krishna, sometimes for a change, He want someone to chastise Him. He doesn’t want it to be praised all the time. So who will chastise him? So, only someone in a position of a superior to chastise Him. So Krishna will select some great devotee to take the position of His mother or His father, so they can chastise Him. Otherwise, He gets fed up all the time being worshiped and glorified. He wants variety. Sometimes a rich man, he could eat very opulent food every day but sometimes a rich man, he will also eat puffed rice just for a change.

Srila Prabhupada told the story of the Prime Minister of England, Gladstone. That one gentleman came to meet the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s secretary informed the gentleman that the Prime Minister is busy, he cannot meet you now. Please wait. So the gentleman was waiting. He wasn’t getting any attention from anyone, so finally he took courage and he just little opened the door to the Prime Minister’s chamber. There he saw, the Prime Minister was on the floor on his hands and knees, and his grandson was riding on his back. And the grandson was like ordering him, “Get up, get up.” So, Why? Why? Because he doesn’t always want to be in the consciousness of being the Prime Minister and being worshipped as the Prime Minister but he wanted to play. He wanted to forget, he was the prime minister and play with his grandson, become the horse of his grandson. So Krishna also, sometimes He likes to forget that He is God and just become the servant of His devotees.

Any other questions?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:51:29–00:52:21]

Giriraj Swami: [Unintelligible 00:52:24–00:52:26] Mataji is asking that why have we not been able to influence any heads of state to take up their proper roles as leaders?

Well, the short answer which I will explain is that they are animals. We find it difficult to preach to animals. Now, why do I say they are animals? Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that those who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses eulogize or glorify persons who do not hear the transcendental pastimes and glory of the Supreme Lord. Now, how many leaders in the material world hear the pastimes of the Lord, hear the glories of the Lord? Very few, maybe none. So, how are they elected to such exalted positions? Because they are getting votes from persons who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses, they become Presidents and Prime Ministers.

So, in other words, in simple language, the little animals are eulogizing the big animals. But if we make the population Krishna conscious, then they will no longer vote for animals. They will insist on devotees and then we can get devotee leaders which is not to say that we won’t try to influence the leaders. We can try because there might be some spark of humanity which we could fan. But actually, Srila Prabhupada appreciated the fact that they didn’t stop us. He appreciated the Government of America that they allowed him to preach freely. They didn’t try to stop the movement.

Once I invited some very big political leaders from the Government of Maharashtra to meet Srila Prabhupada and they were elderly gentlemen. They were in their seventies; they should have been eligible for Krishna consciousness. So, first Srila Prabhupada asked them to join the movement. They said that we can’t do. Then Srila Prabhupada asked them to help the movement. They said that also, we can’t do. Then finally, Srila Prabhupada said, well, at least don’t harm the movement. “Oh! Yes Swamiji, we will not that we can do.” So, at least if they don’t harm us that is something, I give credit for that at least. In some places, they try to harm us. Even now, it is going on. In France, we have been listed as one of the dangerous cults. One devotee recently tried to go to Reunion in devotee dress and he was harassed like, anything by immigration. He was put in jail. We are on the list of dangerous cults in France.

So, in many countries if we can just influence the leaders to the point where they just allow us to exist and work, that is our success. And right now, Europe seems to be the main place that the movement is under attack, under threat from the governments themselves, Russia, Poland, France, some other places also.

Any other questions? Do you want me to address any other topic?