20150127 A Talk at the Delhi Book Distribution Awards Ceremony.

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In the last tape by Srila Prabhupāda advised, “Always stay together, always be in good association, devotee association and so on…”

So first of all before I speak, I would like to express my gratitude to His Holiness Gopala Krsna Mahārāja, Delhi leaders, devotees. For four month I have been here for my disease treatment. They have been giving me good association. And doing lot of sevā, although I don’t deserve it. So first I would like to thank all of them. Sometime in the next few weeks I will be discharged, we don’t know exactly when it is up to the doctor. But every three months I have to come to Delhi. [all devotees clap and cheer] It was very inspiring to see how the Delhi devotees were engaged in the Prabhupādā Book Marathon. How all the temples, how at the road crossings, I also heard at the Metro, and one old man told me he stopped cars and said, “Take a Prabhupādā Gītā or run me over,” no one ran over and he distributed about 5000 Bhagavad-gītās.

So we know that it was very hard to make Kṛṣṇa devotees even 500 years ago. People thought that devotees were beggars or they thought they were very rich and happy, good education, good birth, good kula, nice money, big house, why did they need religion? Just for the name and fame, Bhakti - what is that? 

Yesterday we had the Advaita Saptami, he found it difficult to make Kṛṣṇa devoteeṣ, although he is an incarnation of Mahāvisnu. He prayed, loudly shouted, he worshipped the Saligrama-sila with Ganges water and Tulasi, so that Kṛṣṇa would descend. HARI…. HARI…. H…A..R…I [Guru Mahārāja says loudly followed by devotees] It penetrated the universal covering, crossing over the Vaikuntha loka and reached to the Goloka Vrndavana. HARE KṚṢṆA [LOUDLY]

And finally Lord Kṛṣṇa told Advaita, “Okay! I will come down. But this time, I will not come as Lord, I will come as my devotee and I will take the mood and color of Rādhārāṇī, so that I can understand, what my devotee feels for me.” So He came as Caitanya Māhāprabhu. After he came, He made it easy to be a devotee. He, Nityananda, Advaita, so many devotees. He empowered them to make more devotees, even two rascals Jagai and Madhai. Even they, Mādhāi hit Lord Nityānanda with a wine bottle and caused him to bleed. But He said, “You think you hit me with a broken bottle and caused me to bleed, I won’t give you Love of Kṛṣṇa? And Jagai, he told Madhai, “He is bleeding, but he is still talking love, he is not and ordinary person, bow down to him. BOW DOWN!!” When Lord Caitanya came, he promised he would not use any weapon of violence, but hitting Lord Nityananda, causing him to bleed, His promise was also to protect his devotees, so he called out for Sudarshan Cakra and he was ready to use his weapon. Break his one promise to keep his other promise. Madhai bowed down. Nityananda Prabhu prayed that, if you kill them you will have to kill millions in Kali-yuga, how many drunkards, how many intoxicated, how many sinful people are there. Nityananda prabhu prayed for saving Madhai. So Lord Caitanya and Nityananda made it easy to become a devotee.

Prabhupādā, he was predicted by Lord Caitanya, by the Puranas, by the acaryas, they would send someone who would bring the message around the world, who would take the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa around the world. Prabhupādā received the order to also preach in India, otherwise he was ordered to preach in the West. So I was thinking that, normally it is very difficult to make people devotees, but because of Prabhupāda’s mercy, thousands and thousands of people are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. [ all devotees are clapping] And we see your enthusiasm to distribute books, also people are eager to receive the books. At least your enthusiasm inspired them to take books. I heard that some people, they didn’t know what the book was, they pulled out from their pocket 500 Rs [Guru Mahārāja show the action of giving away the money] Take it. [Guru Mahārāja enacts and shows, how he takes and drives away].

I heard one person, he bought a book, he brought it home, he didn’t read it, but his nephew read it, and the nephew’ s brother, and others. Like this so many people read this book. Now many of that family are devotees. [All clap]

Some devotees you may know, we know, like Bhakti Nityānanda Swami and the president in Warangal Nanda Gopala and also Mukunda Dasa many in their family, extended family, became devotees only by reading one book. These books are like timebombs. [all clap] Some may take the book, and not read it and bring it home, his wife may read it, his son or daughter may read it.

I heard, one time an immigrant from Guyana, he came to Canada, he was welder. So, in Canada, welder’s gets 40 dollars per hour, here welder not so much. So he went to the pub and had some rum, Caribbean nectar. Now I am  really there, I have reached there, I am from Guyana, reached Canada, I make 40 dollars an hour, I am rich, I can buy as much rum I want [Guru Mahārāja enacts the drunkard] what more could one ask for? So as he was going into one [inaudible] he met a devotee, distributing Bhagavad-gītā. He told I have a Bhagavad-gītā, the devotee told this is a special type of Bhagavad-gītā.

No, No I am sorry.

I am begging you, give me whatever you want, just take this book and read it.

He thought he is an ethnic Canadian, he is begging from me, how I am so GREAT.

I came from Guyana, and the Canadians are begging from me, ha ha ha.

All right take ten dollars and give me a book.

And next morning, he woke up, he opened his briefcase and he saw the Bhagavad-gītā how did I get that. He couldn’t remember much from the night before, maybe something he drank. [All laugh] He just glanced the Gītā, he looked in the end, he saw the list of temples, he saw Toronto, Canada, 242 Avenue Road, Oh!! I know where that is, I will go there today. He went to the temple, it was Lord Nityānanda’s appearance day. [all clap]

And devotees were chanting and dancing. He joined in the Kirtana, he had a feast. That was it, convince. He gave up all bad habits. [All clap] He read the Bhagavad-gītā, again and again and again. He met Guyanese pandits, he challenged them, Bhagavad-gītā says this: 

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
[Bhagavad-gītā 18.66]

what do you have to say? The pandit said, “I don’t know what to say” [Guru Mahārāja laughs] 

So like that so many people by getting Bhagavad Gita, they get unimaginable spiritual benefit. Now how this had become easier? By the mercy of Lord Caitanya and He gave the mercy to Śrīla Prabhupādā, through the Guru paramparā.

And Prabhupādā gave to Gopala Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and so many devotees, like that all of you are getting the mercy. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvati Thakura told Prabhupādā that by you spreading Kṛṣṇa Consciousness around the world, you will get immense spiritual benefit and also those who help you. So I think all of you are helping Prabhupādā, therefore all of you are advancing very nicely in the Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement.

When marathon was on, some book distributor handed me some books and said please distribute these books, so I also distributed books for you. [claps]

How many here would like to help Prabhupādā? [ALL assembled raise their hands and say Haribol!]

Guru Mahārāja says I didn’t hear anything.

[All say Haribol loudly]

Guru Mahārāja: Danyavād. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

ISKCON BALARAMDESH

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