So anyway, after his passing away, this Back to Godhead paper was started, as late in 1944, I think, because the expenditure was three hundred, four hundred rupees per month.
So somehow or other, it has begun, the blessings of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, as he wanted me, he desired me. So, because he desired, my… I am not very expert, or educated or nothing extraordinary, but only thing is that I believed in his word. That is… You can say that is my qualification. I believed cent percent in his word. So whatever success is there, it is just due to my firm faith in his instruction.
So, I am trying to follow. And by his grace, you are helping me. So actually, the responsibility will now depend on you. I am also old man. I may pass away at any moment. This movement should go on, you see, this movement started by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then accelerated by Gosvamis, and then again Visvanatha Cakravarti. And when… Just like whenever there is… Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. When there is some slowness, either Krishna Himself or some representative comes to give it a push. So, you should know it, that this movement should be pushed on. This should not be neglected. And I am glad that you are catching the ideas very nicely, and try…
Simple thing: you chant sincerely and follow the rules and regulation. The rules and regulation are not very strict. They are very simple. But because you are trained in a different way… But I am so pleased and obliged to you that you have adopted. I never expected. When I came first in Boston, I was thinking,
“Oh, who will accept these Vaisnava rules and regulations? These people are after meat and wine and illicit sex, and how they will accept it?”
I was hopeless: “How they will chant?” You, see? So, by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, at least, I am hopeful that this movement can be accepted by anyone. It is not so hopeless as I thought. But apart from my calculation, you are realizing. This movement should be pushed on. Just like great souls always think of the poor souls, similarly, you should also feel.
That is the way. Lord Jesus Christ, he also prayed for the sinful persons. So, this is very good. If we struggle hard to push this movement, then, even we, you don’t get any follower, Krishna will be satisfied. And our business is to satisfy Krishna. That is bhakti. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti means one has to engage his all senses for the satisfaction. Material life means sense satisfaction for his self:
“I like this. I like this. I want to do something. I want to sing something or chant something, eat something, or touch something, or taste something. This is something…”
That means using the senses. That is the material life.
“I want to touch such soft skin. I want to taste such, what is called, nice food. I want to smell like this. I want to walk like this.”
The same thing—walking, tasting, touching, or anything—should be utilized for Krishna. That’s all.
Instead of touching something else, if we touch the sanctified lotus feet of a devotee, that touch will be utilized.
Instead of eating nonsense, if we eat Krishna prasadam, it will be all right.
Instead of smelling something else, if we smell the flowers offered to Krishna…
So, nothing is stopped. If you want to use your sex life, yes, you can use for producing Krishna conscious children. Nothing is stopped. Simply it is purified. That’s all.
This is the whole program.
There is no question of “Stop this.” Stop cannot be. How it can be stopped?
Suppose I am a human being. If somebody says, “Oh, you cannot eat,” is it possible? I must eat. So, there is no question of stopping.
The question is purifying it. So… And the other philosophy is to, I mean to say, snub down forcibly, make it void, just like they say, “Just become desireless.” They advocate.
So how can I be desireless? Desire must be there. But I shall desire for Krishna.
So, this is very nice process. And even others do not take it very seriously or they do not come to our philosophy, if you try for it, that is your business. Krishna will be satisfied. Our acaryas will be satisfied, Guru Maharaja will be satisfied. And yasya prasadad bhagavat… If they are satisfied, then your business is finished. You, see? Not that other is satisfied or not. By your chanting some public is satisfied—no, we are not concerned with that. He may be satisfied or not satisfied. But if I chant in the proper way, then my predecessors, the acaryas, will be satisfied. That is my business, finished, if I don’t invent in my own way. So, I am very glad that Krishna has sent so many nice boys and girls to help me. Be blessed on this auspicious day. And there is nothing mine. I am simply a postal peon. I am delivering to you what I have heard from my Guru Maharaja. Simply you also act in the same way, and you will be happy, and the world will be happy, and Krishna will be happy, and everything will be… (end)