want a few moons, not many stars

Prabhupada: Yes. Every Vaisnava, that is Vaisnava's sadacara, humbleness. Trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna . Although Vaisnava knows everything, still he presents himself very humble, lower that the straw, humbler than the tree. Trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna, amanina: they don't..., the devotee does not claim any so-called popular respect, false respect. They go on with their Krsna consciousness movement. Trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna, amanina: if anyone wants some honor, he gives everyone honor. For him, he does not want any honor. What honor he'll take, this material honor?    (More...)

Why a few selected persons come here? Because it requires background of pious activities. Otherwise it is not possible. We do not expect that cent per cent of people will become Krsna conscious. That is not possible. But if there is one ideal Krsna conscious person, he can do benefit to many thousands. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. [Canakya Panḍita.] If there is one moon in the sky, he can illuminate the whole universe, na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ, not these twinkling stars. It is not possible.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: They think I'm an Indian. " 'If anyone comes around to our prasadam distribution program, that means he is hungry. If he is hungry, that means he cannot listen to our philosophy. If his hunger is not satisfied, he'll never become Krsna conscious. That is the point. If we just went around with a program of speaking and kirtana, they would come once or twice but they wouldn't see its practical value. But if you give them prasadam daily with kirtana and speaking, eventually you can convince them, "Look, this is our most practical way of life. Why don't you come and live with us completely and work with us?" ' " That's a quote from an article in Back to Godhead. "Though food is far more plentiful in the United States than in India, prasadam appeal seems to work its magic here just as well. The entire movement began only ten years ago in a storefront temple in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Today it owns the largest publishing house of Hindu classics, many in demand for leading university courses. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in Los Angeles, the world's largest, last year's gross of one million dollars; incense-producing Spiritual Sky Scented Products Company; and Krsna Fashions Incorporated, a wholesale clothing manufacturer. An important portion of the movement's income comes from the contributions of lay devotees, who are successful businessmen. More comes from street-corner solicitation of alms by devotees during kirtana. How significant the last is was shown recently by the closing down of elevator service in the New York center. 'A lot of us are going on pilgrimage to India,' said Alahkara dasa. 'There won't be many around to beg. These elevators cost us $2,200 a month to run. So we're cutting down except for essential services.' " We don't do that anymore. That was the previous mismanagement. Someone had the idea that if you turn off the elevator, that's very good. But I told him if you're not going to run the elevator, then why did you move here? They had people walking up eleven stories, and it was crazy, just to save... Anyway, "These include moving foodstuffs and milk into the building. Much of the food comes from a 350-acre ISKCON-owned dairy farm in Academia, Pennsylvania, one of the six similar facilities in this country and Canada." They show pictures of devotees in the temple, devotees taking prasadam and two lady devotees. "The yoga," it says under the captions, "monks take breakfast by hand in rows on the dining area floor." Here it says, "Saried women devotees dwell in cloister atmosphere of the center." Then "The yoga of devotion: Tilaka of clay paste marks the devotee as a member of ISKCON sect. Central shrine in the temple is the focal point of twice a day services." A picture of Radha-Govinda. " 'Our life is our meditation' said a sikha-ed, saffron-clad monk in the Hare Krsna center. 'Everything we do is offered to Sri Krsna, but in addition to that there is the personal chanting, most...' " [break] "...slung from the devotee's neck. He often counts the beads without taking his hand from the pouch. In the early hours the Hare Krsna center buzzes with a droning sound, difficult to identify by the stranger who does not know that it comes from the monks, who are beginning their required sixteen rounds." They have given everything very detailed. "The personal chanting sometimes occurs in unusual situations-while escorting a visitor to the center, while waiting to complete a phone call, or even during pauses in a conversation." [laughter] Devotees are always chanting. " 'The mahamantra is the only mantra needed' the devotee says. Besides the sixteen rounds, devotees are expected to observe four rules. They must abstain from meat-eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex. Illicit sex is defined as any sexual act other than that intended for procreation. Sex outside of marriage is forbidden. Married, full-time devotees may have sexual relationship once a month at a time propitious for procreation. All the devotee's activities are regarded as bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotion. He regards everything he does as service to God. The name he is given at initiation is followed by the word dasa, 'a servant.' Full-time ISKCON devotees adopt Vedic dress, one objective being to keep others aware of Krsna. Women wear saris, the men dhotis; both may wear shawls. The men shave their heads except for a single lock of hair at the back. [See the article 'The Krsna Cut.'] The lock, called a sikha, identifies the followers of Krsna." Actually, no one can imitate us because no one wants to give up their hair, so no one will try to make believe they are devotees. "Shaving the head announces renunciation of material pleasures. The tilaka is a mark made with clay-two narrow vertical stripes on the forehead meeting in a triangular swatch on the bridge of the nose. It identifies the body as a temple to be used only in the service of God. Full-time students follow a rigorously monastic life. They arise at four a.m. in the morning, begin four hours of prayer and chanting. At nine o'clock they have breakfast, seated cross-legged on mats on the floor. The men eat apart from the women. During the day devotees work at various preaching programs or at regular jobs. At seven p.m. devotional services are held in the center's temple. In Manhattan this features an ornate shrine including representations of Krsna and His consort, Radhe. Both are costumed sumptuously with elaborate care; both wear festoons of flowers. Visitors are cautioned, 'When you go in the temple remember that these statues you see are not representations of the Deities, they are the Deities. Krsna is in everything. Krsna is everywhere.' Temple kirtana." There's a picture. "Eleven-story New York sect's center is former Carmelite Baird home." Picture of the temple. "Services in the temple are attended by about five hundred every Sunday. Many of these are from New York's Hindu population. Frequently husbands bring their pregnant wives, dedicating their unborn child to Krsna. The kirtana begins with the chanting of the maha-mantra, slowly at first and melodiously. Later the chant will speed up as the spirit of the devotion spreads. Often the most rapid and intense chanting is done by a hard-core knot of dhoti-ed men before the curtains of the shrine." The devotees get in one group and start... [laughter] Hard-core devotees. "The rhythm approaches that of an express train, and the atmosphere is apt to remind a lay visitor of an old-fashioned football rally. Some of the onlookers try to keep up with the central group, clapping their hands, swaying their bodies, throwing arms upwards and, among the younger, adapting modern dance steps to the rhythm. When the shrine curtains are drawn back, devotees kneel and press their foreheads..."    (More...)

Prabhupada: But that is not acceptable by the greatest number. That is to be accepted by the smallest number.    (More...)

Prabhupada: That is not meant for mass of people, the greatest number. The mass of people, abodha-jata, they are fools and rascals. The Krsna consciousness movement cannot be understood by mass of people. A selected number of men who are fortunate, they can understand.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Just like ekas candra tamo hanti. Moon, you will find one in the sky, but stars, millions. But moon is wanted, not the stars, to drive away the darkness. That is our philosophy. You cannot say that there may be many moons. No. That is not possible. Many stars, maybe, which have no utility. They are glittering only. What is called? Peeping?    (More...)

Prabhupada: Twinkling. But they cannot drive away darkness. That is not possible. Glowworms. As soon as you come to the quality, that is the lowest number, minimum.    (More...)

Prabhupada: No, the majority may not accept. You see, if you want to sell jewels, a diamond, you cannot get many customers. That is not possible. But still, diamond is diamond. It may not have many customers; it doesn't matter. If there is one customer, that is sufficient. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient to dissipate all darkness. There is no need of thousands or millions of stars. So our movement, if anyone, through all men in the world, can understand Krsna consciousness, he will do tremendous good to the people. My Guru Maharaja used to say like that.    (More...)

Prabhupada: I told you that I do not expect that everyone will be Krsna conscious. That is not possible. But if there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient to eradicate the darkness. You don't require many stars. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca tarah sahasrasaḥ [Niti-Sastra 4.6].    (More...)

Prabhupada: I don't make any compromise with these rascals. No words. No, no. I'll never make that. Even if I don't get any disciple, I'll be satisfied. But I cannot make any compromise as these rascals. I cannot make. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ [Canakya Panḍita]. If I create one moon, that is sufficient. I don't want many stars. That was my Guru Maharaja's principle, and that is my principle. What is the use of having number of fools and rascals? If one man understands rightly, he can deliver the whole world. [break]    (More...)

Prabhupada: That's it. As soon as the discipline broken, then everything is lost. Now you can dance like a dog. That will not affect. Nobody can do that unless there is spiritual strength. Now last night, Madhudvisa Maharaja was singing, and so many men became enthused to dance. So unless there is spiritual strength, it cannot be done. Others cannot ask and dance. No, that is not possible. That is not possible. Unless there is spiritual strength, you cannot enthuse others. So we should have to acquire spiritual strength by following the regulative principle. Sanatana Gosvami has therefore forbidden.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Well, when there is question of knowledge, only you will find a few people to get the knowledge. When you put this question, "Find out some learned scholar," generally they will be very..., their number will be very little. But one thing is that if there is one man in real knowledge, he can give the..., distribute the knowledge to many. The example is just like ekas candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ: if you get one moon at night, that is sufficient to dissipate the darkness. And there are millions of stars-it is useless. So it is necessarily not required that everyone should be in perfect knowledge. But if one man is in perfect knowledge, hundreds and thousands can hear from him and they can perfect. So it does not depend on the quantity; it depends on the quality.    (More...)

The next line is, gaurahgera sahgi-gane. Sahgi-gane means "associates." Lord Caitanya is always associated: He is not alone. We never see a picture of Lord Caitanya alone. At least there must be Lord Nityananda or Gadadhara Panḍita. Actually, wherever Lord Caitanya was present, many thousands of devotees would assemble. Such devotees, especially those who were His nearest intimate associates, were nitya-siddha. In the devotional line there are three kinds of perfect devotees. One is called sadhana-siddha. This refers to a person who has very rigidly performed the regulative prescriptions and thereby reached the perfectional stage. Reaching the perfectional stage by executing the regulative principles is called sadhana-siddha. There is another kind of devotee who is called krpa-siddha. He may not have executed the regulative principles very rigidly, but by his service mood he is specifically blessed by the spiritual master or Krsna. He is immediately promoted to the perfectional stage. This is called krpa-siddha. Nitya-siddha is one who was never contaminated by the material nature. The sadhana-siddhas and the krpa-siddhas were supposed to have once been in the contamination of material nature, but nitya-siddhas never came into contact with the material nature. All the associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu are nitya-siddhas, or eternally perfect. Nityananda Prabhu is Balarama, the immediate expansion of Krsna; Advaita Prabhu is Maha-Visnu (He is also visnu-tattva); Gadadhara Prabhu is an expansion of Radharani; and Srivasa is an incarnation of Narada. They are nitya-siddha, or eternally perfect. They were never imperfect. They were never in contact with material contaminati

Prabhupada: No, we don't take that, by number of people. We take how many people are taking actually. But neither... Ekas candras tamo hanti [Canakya Panḍita]: "If one man accepts, then he can become the bright moon." Na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ: "The so-called stars has no value." One moon is sufficient. So our preaching is: let one man understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. We don't want disciples. I never collected disciples. I never compromised, that "You can do whatever you like, and you become my disciple. No. "You have to follow this." Now also, this morning, I accepted so many... "First promise whether you are going to do this." Then I initiate. This is my policy. If I would have said, "No, you can do whatever you like, and give me some money, I shall give you mantra," then you would have seen millions. But I accept very selected disciple, not that anyone, everyone comes, and I accept disciple. No. He is first of all trained up six months. Then, when he is able to promise to follow the regulative..., then I accept. This is stricture. It is not that everyone comes, "Give me thirty-five dollars. I give you mantra, and within six months you become God." I do not do that.    (More...)

Prabhupada: No. Tiny percentage... Just like there are so many stars in the sky, and there is one moon. In percentage the moon is nothing. If we take percentage of the stars, the moon is nothing. But moon is important than all the nonsense stars. [laughter] But if you take percentage, he has no percentage vote. But because he is moon, he is important than all these rascal stars. This is the example. What is the use of taking percentage of the stars in the presence of moon? Let there be one moon, that is sufficient. There is no question of percentage. One ideal man. Just like in Christian world, one ideal Lord Jesus Christ.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Many? What you...? Many followers... The philosophy you present, it must be followed by everyone. That is wanted. You have got, say, ten thousand followers. That does not mean success. Everyone has got some followers. This... What is that? Guru-ji Maharaja. He has got also so-called followers. The T.M., he has got also some followers. Everyone has got some followers. But what kind of followers they have? That is quality. Everything has quality. Simply quantity is not. There are many Christians. Even up to date, some Christian fair or..., many millions will come. What is the quality? Quality is all meat-eater. But Christian means he should not kill. Where is the Christian? So we have to test by the quality, followers. Not many followers; the quality of the followers. My Guru Maharaja used to say like that, that "If I get at least one quality disciple, then all my labor will be success." He was saying like that: quality, not the quantity. By quantity if one is amazed, then he is also goru. By quality-what kind of followers? That is the... From the very beginning my strictures are there, that "You have to follow this"-quality. If I were..., "No, you can do like Vivekananda. Yes, what you can, whatever you like," then I think quantity would have been very, very big. But I don't say. I make him promise before the fire, before the Deity, before guru. [break]    (More...)

Prabhupada: It is very precarious condition. So we want to give them, all of them, "Come and live." But when you come here, if you get husband we have no objection, but don't canvass. That is not good. And that is making our sannyasis fall down. Of course, it is difficult, that young men, young women living, intermingling. But it is... Krsna consciousness movement is to reform everything. Even there, there is such desire it should be checked. And that can be checked if one is strictly Krsna conscious. Otherwise not possible. So these things should be... Because the Kali-yuga, the more it advances, people will be suffering in so many ways. And the only solace is Krsna consciousness-only solution.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Suppose I am a very big business magnate. Next life, if I am going to become a dog-according to my karma, the nature's law will act-then what is benefit? One day before, Indira Gandhi was so important. Next day out nowhere, finished. Nobody knows where is Indira Gandhi. Just twenty-four hours she was most prominent woman, and after twenty-four hours nobody cares to look at her. This nature's law, how you can check? This is going on. Any moment, anything can be changed by the laws of nature. So India's importance is there. They know the law. Therefore so long the body, full of intelligence, human body, is there, they'll utilize it very... That is life, not to be carried away by the waves of nature. This is India's duty. So we want to make our institution at least a place for understanding this knowledge. It doesn't matter only a few persons may understand. That is sufficient. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ: "If you keep one moon in the sky, that is sufficient for light. What is the use of millions of stars?" [Canakya Panḍita.]    (More...)

Prabhupada: That means we don't take any importance. But now, if you want to do something, then you maintain this institution rigidly, follow the principles of Bhagavad-gita. It doesn't matter. It doesn't require many men. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ [Canakya Panḍita]. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient. You don't require millions of stars, twinkling. So let there be an institution, and it is open to everyone. There is no question of "secular" and particular... Let them learn this art. That is wanted. Not blindly, but apply your consideration and take it after mature judgment. No, what is that? Everything is there. There is no difficulty. Why you are neglecting this important business of India? Do you think it is right?    (More...)