760408 - Lecture Hindi, partially recorded - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

760408SP-VRNDAVAN - April 08, 1976 - 5.31 Minutes

(Translated from Hindi into English)

Prabhupāda: What? Just now said that by seeing whom one remembers the name of Kṛṣṇa, he is an exalted Vaiṣṇava. At one time I was going from London to Africa and at twelve midnight that plane landed in Athens. Since we had to wait there for 45 minutes so we all got off and went to the resting area. We were three or four of us, and the moment they saw us the many youth waiting there said, "Hare Kṛṣṇa" at twelve midnight and at Athens airport. Just like you said, we are known as "Hare Kṛṣṇa people" all over the world. Just on seeing us everyone says "Hare Kṛṣṇa". This is not we . . . (indistinct)

And sometimes there is cartoon in the newspaper. One cartoon came out, one old lady is telling her husband forcefully, Chant Chant Chant! And the old man says (aside: the English comes out and laughs) Can't Can't Can't! (laughter) The old lady says Chant Chant Chant! And he says Can't Can't Can't! (laughter) So this is our position.

So I thank you all very much. All these westerners have come here spending a lot of money, each ticket costs at least 10000 rupees. They are around 400 - 500 of them and the government earns in thousands and crores of rupees. There is no loss for the government from their coming here but still it is unfortunate that when their visa expires they are repeatedly asked to get out.

There are a lot of obstacles, although devotional service is apratihatā, they have to go back and again come back and again spend 10000 rupees. So kindly all of you Vṛndāvana residents it behooves you to provide all kinds of facilities to these people who come from outside India and more will come. Jaya jaya vrindavana vasi jata jana.

So this is Indian philosophy, gṛham śatrum api prāptaṁ viśvastam akuto 'bhayam, even if an enemy comes to our home he should be treated with all respect, so much so that he forgets that he is an enemy. This is our philosophy. And if one comes to Vṛndāvana and you all hate them that they are yavana, mleccha, this or that, we will not eat food touched by them, then how will things progress.

So this aspect has to be, it is my request to all of you to understand this position, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ nārakī buddhiḥ saḥ, give up this nasty attitude. That is my request, nothing else. arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa). So these people who come from far to take darśana of the Lord, everyone know it is made of stone. So do they come to see the stone? Spending so much money if someone asks what stone is Kṛṣṇa made of? O foolish person, have they come to see the stone after spending so much money? So such foolishness should not happen, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself says:

yei bhaje sei baḍa, abhakta — hīna,

chāra kṛṣṇa-bhajane nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra

(CC Antya 4.67)

There is no question of considering a Vaiṣṇava in terms of birth. And the Lord Himself says:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

(BG 9.32)

pāpa-yoni, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim (BG 9.32), so on who is going to reach the supreme destination is he a mlechha or yavana?

So my only request is to cleanse this environment of having a nārakī buddhiḥ, give up this attitude and they have all come to learn from you, teach them, enlighten them. This is the only request. There is no more time now, ārati is going to be done. Thank you all very much.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)