So on this auspicious day of appearance day of Lord Ramacandra, we are taking this opportunity of foundation of the cornerstone of our temple in this Bombay center. And it is very kind of Mrs. Nair, A.B. Nair, that she has given us this chance along with her husband. So, so far we are concerned, we are preachers. We are preaching all over the world. We don't require any palatial building or very comfortable apartment. But because it is a preaching center, in order to invite respectable persons, we require nice building, nice temple. Just like Rupa Gosvami, our predecessor acarya, he left his ministership, government post and became a mendicant. He was living underneath a tree every night. Not permanently underneath a tree: tonight one tree, next night another tree. But when he was approached by King Mansingh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar... In those days rich men, big men, they were God conscious, and they wanted to do something for God's service. So King Mansingh approached Rupa Gosvami if he could do any service. So Rupa Gosvami, he was living under the tree, so what service he expected from King Mansingh? He said that "If you want to do some service, do it for Krsna." So he advised him to construct a temple at Vrndavana.

Those who have visited Vrndavana, that temple is still existing in broken state. It was seven story. The four stories have been broken by Aurangzeb. But whatever three stories are still remaining, if we want to construct such type of temple, it will require at least four crores of rupees, not less than that. So in South India also, there are many big, big temples. It is not possible to construct such temples at the present moment. It is very expensive. But in our country, all the kings and rich men, they were interested in constructing temple. At the present moment, the tendency is practically absent. In big, big cities, development, improvement is going on, but very few people are constructing temple. This tendency of godlessness is increasing all over the world. In European countries also, America, first when I visited one county... It is known as Butler. So Butler County, it is a very small county. Still immediately I saw there are about half a dozen churches, very big, big churches. They were very old churches. In America also and England, there are many churches. But people have lost interest. They are no more going to the churches. And the churches are now for sale. We have purchased one or two of them.

So this is the position of the human society, not only in India but in other parts of the world. They are gradually losing the interest in God consciousness. This is not very good sign. So our, this present movement is to invoke the dormant God consciousness all over the world. Krsna consciousness means God consciousness. When I started this mission, registered this name, International Society for Krsna Consciousness, some of our friends said that "Why don't you make it 'International Society for God Consciousness?'" (end)