Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on September 15,1979 in Los Angeles, California

SB 4.9.9

nūnaṁ vimuṣṭa-matayas tava māyayā te
ye tvāṁ bhavāpyaya-vimokṣaṇam anya-hetoḥ
arcanti kalpaka-taruṁ kuṇapopabhogyam
icchanti yat sparśajaṁ niraye ’pi nṝṇām

nūnam — certainly; vimuṣṭa-matayaḥ — those who have lost their right intelligence; tava — Your; māyayā — by the influence of the illusory energy; te — they; ye — who; tvām — You; bhava — from birth; apyaya — and death; vimokṣaṇam — the cause of liberation; anya-hetoḥ — for other purposes; arcanti — worship; kalpaka-tarum — who are like the desire tree; kuṇapa — of this dead body; upabhogyam — sense gratification; icchanti — they desire; yat — that which; sparśa-jam — derived by touch sensation; niraye — in hell; api — even; nṝṇām — for persons.

Translation : By His Divine Grace Sri Srimad AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

Persons who worship You simply for the sense gratification of this bag of skin are certainly influenced by Your illusory energy. In spite of having You, who are like a desire tree and are the cause of liberation from birth and death, foolish persons, such as me, desire benedictions from You for sense gratification, which is available even for those who live in hellish conditions.

Purport: By Srila Prabhupada

Dhruva Mahārāja repented because he had come to the Lord to render devotional service for material profit. Here he condemns his attitude. Only due to a gross lack of knowledge does one worship the Lord for material profit or for sense gratification. The Lord is like a desire tree. Anyone can have whatever he desires from the Lord, but people in general do not know what kind of benediction they should ask from Him. Happiness derived from the touch of skin, or sensuous happiness, is present in the life of hogs and dogs. Such happiness is very insignificant. If a devotee worships the Lord for such insignificant happiness, he must be considered devoid of all knowledge.

Thus ends the purport by Srila Prabhupada.

So,the five year old son of Maharaja Uttanapada, the great Dhruva Maharaja, after completing rigorous intense concentration in devotional service of the Lord was so fortunate that he saw Krishna face to face in his Narayan form. Seeing God face to face Dhruva Maharaj is reflecting how he had been worshiping God in order to regain his kingdom, the kingdom of his father, which he was illegally and improperly evicted from. Thinking in that way Dhruva Maharaj was experiencing extreme pain. How he had been so foolish to worship Krishna and in return asking for a material benefit. It describes here that the Lord is just like a desire tree. A desire tree fills all the desires of the devotee and provides wonderful things. Whatever one desires, the desire tree provides. Of course, there may be some misconception that what kind of desire tree is the Lord. Whatever the Lord is giving ,whatever the devotee wants the Lord is giving.

There is an example about one devotee who was so fortunate as to achieve association with a desire tree. You see.. So first thing is that now I can desire whatever I want. So let me desire that I can have 10kgs of Gold. Oh desire tree! Give me 10kgs, 22pounds of pure 24 carat Gold. Immediately he gets the gold. Oh look at Gold! Gold!! I have got Gold. So wonderful to have Gold. What else can I desire? Dear desire tree! Please give me a 37 room house filled with servants and all kinds of provisions. Ha…There it is!! Look at that house !! Wow!! (Laughter )

Shoo…(sound effects)..This desire tree is really wonderful, now what will I desire? Let me....I can be a king. Desire tree! make me the king of a huge nation called America. Oh look it I am the king of America. This desire tree is really fun.

(Laughter)…Anything I want I can get. What if I think about what if think right now a tiger was going to come and oh no ooo..he ate me…

You see, that kind of desire tree is not what is being talked about because Krishna would not give to an ignorant person that facility. He would desire a tiger come and eat him because people are so mad with sense gratification.

So only, the pure devotee, he won’t desire for 22kgs of Gold for his sense gratification or for a big house for his sense gratification or for the kingdom of any country in the world for his sense gratification. He being mature, will desire what can I offer to Krishna. Today I'd like to have some nice mangoes, papaya, pineapple. Let me offer nice fruit plate to Rukmini Dwarakadish.

Or he may desire to offer any beautiful garland. So he may say ,well, here I only get a few flowers so I would like to have Golok Champa, rose,lotus, gardenia, so many different.. so anything that he wants to put that desire tree will offer. But he would desires only those things to use in the Lord’s service. He doesn’t want to enjoy himself. His enjoyment is giving satisfaction, pleasure to the Lord. Because he is a pure devotee. So except for pure devotees generally speaking others are not allowed to get the facility of this desire tree. Because they don’t know what is good for them.

So Dhruva Maharaj he could understand all these things that the Lord, one can get anything he wants from him. But if someone goes to Mr. Ford or Rockefeller and if he happens to be charitably disposed to give something if he goes after great difficulty and then says my dear multi-millionare please give me one handful of cigarette ashes, then he would be crazy to ask for such a thing. One should then approach him and say, my dear sir, please give me enough fund to build a beautiful front for Rukmini Dwarakadish temple. Why should we go and ask him just some ashes are useless.. Like that if we go to Krishna and ask Him that my dear Krishna please give me nice car. Please give me a nice house. Please give me nice food. Please arrange something so I can pay for my rent.

If we just ask for all these things actually we are very foolish because Krishna has so much more to give. God has the greatest thing to give. No matter what we accumulate in this life in the form of material possessions at the time of death it will all be finished, from dust to dust. So the real thing to ask from God is His pure devotion, His pure loving devotion. Because that never ends. Just like Krishna never ends and we never end so the loving relationship between the devotee and Krishna, that never comes to an end. This is known as sambandha, eternal relationship. So we ask the Lord first to establish us in our eternal relationship. Who am I? Jivere swarup hoy nitya krishna das, that our eternal form is we are Krishna’s servant. So the devotee first wants to realize what is my relationship. Then the second abhideya. Alright I am eternal servant of Krishna. He is my eternal master. I’m his servant. Now how do I act in that position? How do I obtain the perfection of life ?

So that I should practice the realizing one’s relationship and obtaining the perfection of life, the means is called abhideya. The means of obtaining perfection and the perfection himself is prayojana or pure love of Krishna. The sambandha Acarya of our Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya is Sri Sanantan Goswami. Sanantan Goswami explains all the different features of the transcendental realm and the universe and what is the relationship. Sanantan Goswami describes that although there is a gross relationship between the hellish planets , earthly planets, the heavenly planets of this universe and beyond the universe the realm of Lord Siva and the impersonal brahmana, the Brahma jyoti and the Vaikuntha planets, Ayodhya –the place of Sri Ramacandra and Goloka where Sri Krishna resides and Svetadwip, Navadwip where Lord Caitanya resides. That in spite of all the variegated differences in a kind of one can see them in a perspective of of difference in the Lord.

Actually rather than some kind of a lateral type of, vertical, lateral type of comparison the actual comparison is established through various rasas or mellows of devotion. That the mood of the people, or devotees in certain planets that mood or different relationships with the Lord in loving devotion or material dislike. In the heavenly planets,there there is a type of Bhakti mixed with desire for sense gratification. And some other places mixed with bhakti , mixed with desire for speculative knowledge. As it becomes purer and purer from the gross karma, vikarma to karma to akarma to bhakti mixed with karma , bhakti mixed with jyana to pure ….. jyana is below bhakti mixed with jyan, then gradually to the pure, pure, pure type of bhakti, coming to bhakti in neutrality, then bhakti in servitude then devotion in friendship both devotion in parental love and then devotion in madhurya rasa, in conjugal love. In this way actually Sanantan Goswami apart from establishing a kind of understanding of the material and spiritual world in the extent of happiness, And he described that human beings happiness can be taken as “1”. numeral one ,denominator. Take it that the hellish planets is less than 1, negative, unhappiness. Human being happiness are “1”. Then one goes from human being up to say the gandharvas then his happiness is 10 times more, then he goes to kinnaras 100 times, then caranas 1000. Then again, in this way as he goes up through the different demigods, each time its 10 times greater happiness than before.

Then when one gets to asura, that’s again greater, those who are cent percent mystic powerful asura. Then beyond that one comes to the platform of the demigods, that’s again.. then again Indra is again 100 times more. Then Brahma is 100 times more than they. 1000 times more than they. Then when one gets to Brahmajyoti , the impersonal effulgence of the Lord emanating from his body, then its described that all the material happiness combined is not even one drop compared to the happiness of Brahman. And then from Brahman to pure devotional service of the Lord, that happiness of pure devotion compared to Brahman, Brahman is not even the quantity of water contained in a calf’s footprint in the mud compared to the ocean of happiness of Krishna. So. like this he established this relation.

Also then he went into deeper and he is Maha Brhad Bhagavatamrita. The relationship between different planets in the sense of transcendental rasa or mellow. So, the highest planet is Golok Vrindavan. There the highest interchange of devotion is existing between devotees. So, Dhruva he is understanding that I was approaching the Lord for some fruitive results. Like a businessman I was going and saying and I was thinking that I’ll worship the Lord when I get it and then I will ask Him for a great kingdom, for so much power. Instead I’m feeling such transcendental ecstasy, I’m feeling such wonderful love to see His lotus feet, that I realize I’m so foolish to desire anything but simply to serve Him. What can be greater than that? Why am I clinging onto the broken glass of these material objects which are only temporary in nature, which are going to be destroyed any moment. At any moment Krishna can take them away from me. I have got no stability. Simply by his mercy I’m holding on, in spite of that I’m only thinking how to increase my material entanglement, how to increase my material liabilities rather than accept Krishna’s mercy and fully fix my mind in His service.

Of course, this is very advanced not everyone can immediately obtain this perfection. Therefore its recommended that if one cannot fully fix his mind in Krishna’s devotion, if he is so unfortunate then at least he should give the fruits of his activity. He should use his time, use some of his energy, use some of his wealth to further the service of the Lord and prepare himself for full dedication.

So Dhruva Maharaj, he was already beyond all those stages, he was completely fully dedicated. There was no doubt. He had that desire. So, therefore he made this wonderful prayer which was deriding the pleasure of the senses, that we are so foolish that we ask for the pleasure of the senses.

Of course, this same kind of.. there was. In India of course the people worship many demigods because demigods are known to give very quick results. They don’t inquire. Actually demigods are great devotees of Krishna. They don’t ask what will be the result of what you are asking, whether it would be good or whether it would be bad. They don’t think that this devotee is worshiping me out of what kind of mood. Alright , the demigods are preoccupied in management and in the service to Krishna. Someone is worshiping , alright you are approaching me what do you want? Then they ask please give me this this.. and in Bengal they do Durga puja, there I was walking by and I heard the brahmana. Their prayer after saying that they say first worship Durga , you are Narayani, you are the consort of Narayan, you are Vaishnavi, you are devotee of Vishnu, you are the Jagat Mohini, you are the person who keeps the whole world in illusion. In this way they glorify and then they get to the punch line. Then they pray “Deya deya deya” , dheya they say. Dhanam deya,sriyam deya, prathistham deya, poojyam deya, saubham deya,deya,deya,deya. Deya means give me, give me, give me. Give me wealth, give me establishment, give me beauty, give me power, give me a good wife, give me a home. In this way, they go on. Janam deya, dhanam deya - give me wealth. This is their prayer. How can Durga be fooled? Oh You are so wonderful, so wonderful, so wonderful give me this give me this give me this give me this. They are not loving Durga, they are not loving these demigods, they are loving the wealth, the fame, the powers, the other things they can get from Her. So they are not pure devotees.

There is a great demon called Narakasura. Right by our temple in Guwahati there is the famous temple of Kamakha devi. Kamakha devi is one of the Adipita’s or main places of Durga. When Durga became little uncontrollable then Krishna divided her with His Sudarshan Chakra and requested the other demigods (into how many pieces ?) 56 different pieces and different pieces fell over India. So this one piece fell in Assam. So there, there was a demon. All the worshipers of Devi they go there. But, actually Devi when Krishna personally He also visited the valley of Guwahati. At that time, She ordered one of her demon daughter devotees to actually surrender to Krishna.

So, She has so many, there are so many stories stories of how She has brought devotees to Krishna. But, of course, the demons they simply worship Her for material things. Everyone goes and says simply give me give me give me give me. Of course she is in a very, I mean, it must be very tiring for her to go to all the demands of the people. Nobody asks for any good, nobody with a pure heart is going.

One devotee Narakasura, he worshiped just vigorous, worship and fasting and everything. Finally she came and said, “Alright, you have satisfied me, what would you like to have as a benediction?” And Narakasura, he said, looked at her and said, “You will satisfy my desire”

“What is your desire.?”

He said, “I want to marry you.”

“I am already married with Lord Shiva.”

“Well, I want to at least enjoy you”

Durga was astonished that what predicament. You give a boon and these demons are so lusty Their so envious that they even want to have a lusty relation with the very Goddess they are worshiping So she tricked him and said alright. I will satisfy your desire. Living in the top of this hill its very hard for the devotees to come up here. So you build a big stone staircase, if you can build it from the sunset before sunrise, then sure demon, your power gets stronger and in the night time I will give you that advantage. If you complete it before the morning, then I will satisfy your desire. So this huge demon is picking up big boulders and building this up this huge mountain. He is building the staircase. Not huge, about very big hill, about 1500 or 2000 feet high.

Today- this is in the bygone yugas, many many thousands and thousands of years ago, and he is building and building this single handedly. Just as the sunrise is coming, he is about 100 feet short. “I am sorry” she said, “you didn’t make it. Thank you for the pathway.” Jai!! So the thing is that these demigods, they are in a very bad predicament because everybody is going and bothering them. They get so disgusted sometimes that everybody is coming. When a devotee comes and begs him, please tell me how I can serve Krishna, they feel very good. They feel very good to give such advice.

Lord Shiva himself is the founder of a Vaishnava sampradaya. There is a story how one devotee worshiped Lord Shiva. Then he got the darshan of Lord Shiva and begged Lord Shiva please give me the most wonderful thing in the whole universe. And so Lord Shiva said, yes I can give you. So then you should go and see Sanatan Goswami. He said I would like a touchstone. He said, Oh you like a touchstone? He also has one of those. You can see Sanatan Goswami. Of course many devotees..(break)

This is a common story, then we all know how this devotee went to Sanatan Goswami in Vrindavan and he was looking looking and then he finally found where Sanatan Goswami was, fell down at his Lotus feet and he prayed, “My dear Sanatan Goswami! Lord Shiva has said me that you have the most wonderful thing in the universe. I understand you have a touchstone.” Sanatan Goswami said, “make up your mind.” So he said, “I would like a touchstone” Touchstone, when the touchstone is almost like desire tree in the sense that anything you touch with it it turns into gold. So for a materialist this is very handy. If anything you touch turns to gold, then we can have a very big budget for sense enjoyment.

So he asked, “please I would like to have the touchstone.: Sanatan Goswami said, “yes you go in the back, there is a garbage pit, you find in the garbage pile is one touchstone somewhere there. You can just look” and he started doing his worship. So then he, the devotee, goes in the back there, he sees a huge pile of garbage leaves, everything there all the refuse. He looks looks looks through them and finds one brilliant stone. He touches, Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! I am rich, I am rich, gold! More than a million Krugers, everywhere gold. He was so happy with gold.

Then he started to think that Sanatan Goswami kept this…(break) every time I said I wanted the greatest thing, yes and yes I said touchstone and I found this touchstone in the garbage pit. What is the really valuable thing? He must have something more valuable. Who keeps a touchstone in a garbage. What is his real wealth that is what I must find.

So then he went back and he said Sanatan Goswami, “you have kept this touchstone in a garbage pit, I am thinking that my dear master, you must have something more valuable even than this.”

“Oh yes, I have something much more valuable.”

“Oh may I have that? May I have that most precious object.”

“Why not. But you must first throw away this touchstone.”

“Throw away my touchstone? But I just got so much gold.”

“Well, if you want the greatest thing, the most valuable thing, then you can't hold on to this petty thing.”

“Well you led me on the right path once so I have faith in you.”

So he went and threw away the touchstone back in the garbage pit, came back, paid his obeisances.

“Now. please tell me what is the most valuable thing. Please give it to me.” So then Sanantan Goswami said , “All, right come over here, this is a great secret. Listen”.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare (All devotees chanting in unison)

Chant this Mahamantra, this holy name of God, this is the most valuable thing that I possess. It will satisfy all of your desires.

So, in this way Dhruva Maharaj he was saying that Krishna himself is the desire tree. Why was I desiring such insignificant thing? He realizes that his duty is to satisfy the desires of Krishna. So, he simply focuses that now I’m obtaining Krishna in an indirect way but he sees that actually the direct process is by simply carrying out the orders of the spiritual master. That automatically whenever Krishna is pleased He will appear.

So, we simply try to carry out the orders of our previous Acaryas, of our disciplic succession. Actually, Prabhupad revealed that there is a great secret to becoming advanced in Krishna consciousness. There is a great secret, that secret is one should constantly pray for the mercy of the spiritual master and the previous Acaryas to advance in pure devotional service. One should pray, he should desire the mercy of the great Vaishnavas.

This is the open secret. That They are very easily satisfied. But, one cannot approach without going through his spiritual master. If one does that its called mayavadi. He is trying to say I and my guru are one. That cannot. One has to approach through his spiritual master and he begs his previous Acaryas, Lord Caitanya, Nityananda for mercy, for help to perfect oneself in pure Krishna consciousness.

Srila Prabhupad he always showed this, he always was trying to satisfy the desires of the previous Acaryas Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had said that more important than big temples is book distribution. When he was at his last few days, he told Prabhupad confidentially that in the Gaudiya math when we build such big buildings ,we moved from our rented house, then immediately there was a conflict when we had our marble temple. Who would stay in which room? Who would take which position? Who would sit where? Now I’m thinking better to simply take out all the marble stone, sell it and print books and distribute profusely.

The purport is that our first business is book distribution and Prabhupad he is saying what is the mood of my spiritual master, what is the mood of the previous Acaryas They want Lord Caitanya’s movement to be spread. So, he saw that first there must be book distribution. Then there must be temple construction. The basis is books, basis is transcendental books. So, in the same way, Srila Prabhupad, he always was looking for a chance to satisfy one of the predictions or one of the desires of the previous Acaryas.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, he predicted in many places in his writings, in his monthly journals, in his books, that the whole world would one day become Krishna conscious just as Lord Caitanya had predicted. And he would offer and invite all the people of the world to take part in his transcendental market place of the Holy Name. Although it was 1890, when every Indian was thinking that British with a big iron horses, the locomotives, they have given us the greatest thing. There is nothing greater than this. When people were wearing suits and coats and were proud to be given the title of Sir, Ashuthosh sir, such and such Mukherjee. They were so pleased to become the- get these titles from the western people and drink tea and take on the western affinities and ways and mannerisms. He was saying, No the whole world will embrace Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan movement. This is a very dynamic and far reaching understanding.

So, of course Bhaktivinod Thakur he predicted that at the holy birthplace of Sridham Mayapur that one day will come when there will be devotees from all over the world who would come to pay homage at the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, who would come and serving in the birthplace of Lord Caitanya they would chant together “Jai Sacinandana Jai Sacinandana Jai Gaurahari”.

So, Prabhupad, he saw the desire of the previous Acarya to have devotees from all over the world come to that Holy place and so then he took the opportunity. Anything he could do. What does the previous Acarya Acaryas want? He just jump to the chance. Anything I can do to satisfy their desires. Anything, whatever they want.

Just like when we were in the Kumbhmela in 1971, Jan and Feb very cold right in the very bank of Yamuna and Ganga at the confluence some of us would bathe at three four in the morning in the very cold waters to get the sacred dip. At that year, about only about 20 million people showed up. It was a small year half Kumbha not full one. With the full one 33 million people attend it. They only have for 10 miles from the river they have big bamboos and wood things to make the people stand in queue for 10 miles; so they wouldn’t stampede because many many decades ago there was a stampede where a few 100 people saw their last holy darshan. So they have a big arrangement there.

So we were at that festival There are so many sadhus go. Prabhupad said that many sadhus come to this special meeting. That from the Himalayas many great yogis are still meditating and they come down. He said that the thing about these yogis is that every morning they bathe in seven rivers. They dip down in the Ganges, Yamuna, Saraswati confluence, come up in the in the Godavari, go down in Krishna again and go down and up in Krishna again. In this way they go to seven rivers. Prabhupad said "I have seen with my own eyes. I have seen within a matter of minutes they dip in all of the rivers."

How can Prabhupad see someone dip in rivers over two, three thousand miles apart in matter of minute? Of course we meditated on that one. So, I personally saw there was some yogi there who had been meditating so long that his fingernails had come out of the other side of his hand. I don’t know if it was.. how he did it. But that was how he was meditating. May be it was a done up thing. I couldn’t, I didn’t It looked pretty real. (Laughter)

But there are quite many people go for the show. So many sadhus. So, Prabhupad said we are coming we also want to preach we want to have association of sadhus and give association to the people. He was very humble, he said we want association. Of course we knew that he was going to give association of pure devotion to purify all the different people, mayavadis and karma kandis and different people that were going there. in the morning mostly our devotees were up at so early in morning.

Prabhupad would give a lecture and ask the question: So we had just done many programs for purchasing the Mayapur land and at that time one devotee asked Srila Prabhupad that Srila Prabhupad , “That if we are able to bring” because the topic of discussion was that lot about opening of the big temple. Prabhupad wanted the big temple build immediately in a few years. That if we for the opening of the big temple bring the President of United States and the Queen of England to the opening will Bhaktivinod Thakur be pleased by that or not”.

So then Srila Prabhupad replied "If you bring the President of United States and the Queen of England to the opening of the Mayapur temple Bhaktivinod Thakur will come down from Golok Vrindavan, take you in his hand and head back to Golok Vrindavan right on the spot!" (Laughter) ..So if anyone is ambitious

I’ve already in London mentioned this. They, they at least have to bring their queen and that in America who will bring the President? You see… So here Los Angeles is our biggest community in America. Here of course, Mukunda is going commuting back and forth. But there is your assignment, for instant mercy. So, London said no problem but I don’t know about Los Angeles. No problem? Very nice.

So this is a great opportunity. Actually I, when I, I realized there was kind of transcendental competition when I was in London . Last time you heard the name Los Angeles a little bit. I think there was some transcendental mood between London and Los Angeles since Sankirtan and bhakta and different things. Sometime I get that impression.

When I was there of course when I first landed in Germany then they gave me a very nice garland of flowers, carnation, of course the carnations didn't have any smell there. Harikesh said what can I do you know the flowers they don't smell there's so many chemicals they use. So then I went to When I landed in London then when I was leaving then they gave me a garland of 10 pound notes and said and so then I had to admit they had given the best garland to date.

So in that way there very nice time everywhere I go I get very nice association of all the devotees. I was still reluctant to leave.

Of course actually Los Angeles is the big brother of Mayapur. You know sometimes people they say different thing, why is Los Angeles the big brother. Every feels that this is very appropriate of course some people they say that well, Los Angeles should be Mayapur’s big brother because Los Angeles is the biggest project in the western world right now and Mayapur is the biggest project in India and in the world for so it’s natural that this should be. Then other people say that Los Angeles is the most broad minded, there are so many different projects they are broad minded. Because Mayapur is encompassing so many different things varnashram, vedic planetarium and so many different things therefore it should be the big brother. Then you know there are some people who say well that Los Angeles is proper that it’s the big brother because the intimate relationship between all of the leaders and all of the devotees is basically a wonderful exchange. Of course all these things are correct.

But I think that Mayapur is related with Los Angeles particularly because HDG Srila Rameswara Swami is so keenly intent upon capturing all the mercy of the previous Acaryas and because he has that transcendental vision of what the previous Acaryas desire. Therefore he has above all other reasons grabbed at the chance to be the big brother have Los Angeles be the big brother of Mayapur.

So I feel you see this is very - I mean already he is getting so much mercy from printing and distributing so many books and on top of that now he is trying to capture all the mercy from Mayapur. I say he is giving such a wonderful example of a transcendental capitalist giving/capturing all the transcendental capital, the real wealth all the mercy of the Acaryas.

Of course , Prabhupad was the most expert in this. Whenever he saw a chance to fulfill some desire he would jump at it. But already you see in Mayapur we feel that we are already hard placed of course Prabhupad said ultimately the projects are for book distribution but at the present time due to the poor situation in India, book distribution is a big struggle. People don’t have so much money. We are racking our brains for ways and means. But because some people think that well what is the relationship between this Mayapur Indian project and between book distribution.

So Prabhupada he never made any qualms. There was no secret-that what he where he put his priorities. As far as we were concerned and we know that wherever Prabhupad went around the world he would encourage each zone in different ways. But we were never confused that we were the most important project in ISKCON. That was because Prabhupad he wouldn’t let us have that particular confusion.

I remember that in 1973 or 4 I think it was that we were just finishing the big building and Prabhupad gave a tremendous – he wanted to have about a 150 different rooms and big building everything built within 3 months.

So at that time we had this big building and we only had 10 devotees. Because what happens is that when all devotees come for the festival they ultimately all go to Vrndavan When they go especially in those days, when it was so much more austere we don’t have this problem any more so much. Just they go as far as Vrindavan and come back usually.

It's kind of like after a jet, there is like a vacuum created. When the jet takes off (vOOOO….sound effect) everything behind it is sucked, so especially in those days when all devotees would come and then when they'd go then you'd find that half the devotees would be gone. They'd all go follow with the devotees. They'd just stay there one day after the festival, it feels so empty- one day you have got 600 next day you have got 20. 10 people would (shoo….sound effect) and go with the devotees. So there would be a regular turn over for the first few years. Many devotees came for a year so but at the festival we have our biggest casualty. This was right in the very beginning.

So I remember Bhavananda Goswami was completely in anxiety. He had just came to Mayapur a year or so earlier and then he saw that there is nobody here, I mean there is no way we can build these buildings, there is no way we can do the preaching, no way we can expand these programs.

So he rushed to Vrindavan, fell at Prabhupad’s lotus feet. He went and asked all the leaders. At that time the leaders each one said well, you know we've got so many projects this that.. we can't help you out. But you know, maybe I think there is one Bhakta that's about to leave anyway (Laughter) I'll send him over you know and this was like an eternal problem we were solving/facing in those days.

So then he went to Srila Prabhupad and said there is just no one we can get. I mean just you know there are many of the people who would like to go but they cant get the permission. Even though you said that you should encourage them there was no one. I mean factually everyone they can't see it to give someone at this particular time.

Prabhupad said –Yes , you have to understand from their viewpoint. Alright. He thought for a while and said "Alright you can take anyone you want. You just go without asking, you go at night or something, anyone you want you can take. But, please don’t take my big book distributors. Please don’t take them."

So I mean Prabhupad he was very clear. I mean he felt that of all the projects this big book distribution was first. Then there are so many projects which I’m sure we can all show different letters how he encouraged them and felt these projects could spread Krishna consciousness were they properly developed. Anyway not to leave you hanging. Bhavananda Goswami went that night with his flashlight and woke up different people, gathered about ten to twelve devotees together, put them on the train, and (phish – sound) went back to Mayapur.

So then we took the things like that to actually get the buildings and the things there so that devotees are able to come and enjoy. Now there is a much different mood of course and the need of course is not so acute, there is just a few key positions. So the things are much different. But we always knew that book distribution was Prabhupad’s main and then he always said that only through book distribution will the Indian projects be built. I don't want it.. I want it to come through book distribution. Let the people double their book distribution. Then he showed how by doubling book distribution that ultimately, the Indian projects can be especially Mayapur and Vrindavan- Vrindavan was to be built first and that's practically finished. And then Mayapur finally, the big center of Lord Caitanya’s glory would be built.

So he always intended that the book distribution that should go on. That should be everyone’s first like . Then automatically through book distribution the different BBT would help and see that these projects go on. This was Prabhupad’s plan. That this is natural that Lord Caitanya has given us the transcendental vani -He has given us this message. So by distributing His message we should also do something for Him. So its very encouraging whenever we see the book score is increased.

Now of course we're going through a transition, we may have to take a strategical revamping and so many plans have been made by our great Sankirtan generals and Los Angeles generals how to ultimately increase book distribution. People ask that what can we do to help Mayapur. Of course anything that one does directly is alright, but the overall massive help apart from what any individual does is collectively if everyone simply works to expand book distribution. Our's is the same, the same goal that will ultimately see all of these wonderful things manifest. In fact that’s what , just like people say, well, New Vrindavan was built by the sweat and the devotion of the devotees. And that’s a fact. But and that is what the real significance is when we see the palace of Gold project. But of course even in Mayapur , we hire the kulis to sweat and do the actual construction with a few devotees supervising them and seeing that everything goes on properly.

Maybe directly the sweat of the devotees is not involved in mixing the cement except for a few of the people, of us who we have to stand and watch these kulis and scream at them. The thing is that whose sweat-whose devotion has built these things, that is directly every book distributor around the world, who is distributing and whose BBT donations are coming to build these things for the previous Acaryas. Their devotion is building. That is to me of greatest significance. Because all of the previous Acarya’s desires are being manifested. Krishna was able to do with one activity many things He would achieve. So by one activity so many things are being accomplished. That’s even a much higher principle than to do anything which involves stopping book distribution.

So just like Rameswara Swami said he wants to build this but he doesn’t want to stop book distribution. This kind of attitude, this is directly in line with the previous Acaryas. This is something Prabhupad would say- what is the quality of a pure devotee, he represents the mood of his Acarya. That is the qualification. So Dhruva Maharaj before he met Krishna he may have been confused. But once he saw Krishna then he became very clear, he wanted to simply serve Krishna. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said that if anyone can construct a 20 storied building (20 story skyscraper literally) its right in the books in Sri Mayapur, that they would directly go back to Godhead.

So of course the opportunity is there for everyone to get the mercy of previous Acaryas. Anyone who is distributing massive books service. There is no question. So the devotee doesn’t care about liberation or about sense gratification. Its already that's a cheap thing begging at his doorstep. Simply he is trying to develop his mood of surrender to the Acarya, surrender to Krishna to satisfy Their desires. And he tastes more and more nectar increasing day by day, moment by moment that desire increases and increases so much. We should culture that desire. If we look at ourselves, we should see that what desire, how earnestly, how deeply are we desiring to love Krishna to satisfy His desire through the spiritual master. The result would be while we are chanting we should be crying for Krishna. We should be crying for Krishna. Every time we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

We should be crying for Krishna. If we are not crying for Krishna while we are chanting we should know that our heart is very hard. We are very fallen. Therefore, when we are saying Krishna instead of our heart melting its staying like a rock. We should be feeling so sad that while I’m chanting I’m not crying. My voice is not choking up. My eyes are not filling with tears. My hairs are not standing on end. I’m not quivering in my body. Our heart is so hard that we should cry that we are not crying for Krishna. And if we are so hard hearted that we are not able to realize how unfortunate it is that we are not crying for Krishna to the extent that we are not crying for Krishna. Then we should deeply meditate and then we should cry that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna. And if we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna then we should cry that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna. And if we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna then we should cry that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna. And if we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna then we should cry that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna.

In other words, at least we should be crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying that we are not crying for Krishna. At least we should be crying for Krishna somehow or the other, how to satisfy His transcendental desires. That should be our mood. So, intense, so fixed. Then Krishna, He cannot resist. Alright!!

Thank you very much!!

Jai!!!