African devotees

Expressions researched:
"African boys are becoming serious devotees" |"African devotee" |"African devotees" |"devotees and recruiting especially the African" |"local African boys and girls into devotees"

SB Canto 8

Recently at Māyāpur an African devotee wanted to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but after fifteen days he became restless and went away. Do not suddenly try to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

SB 8.1.14, Purport:

As long as one is entangled in karma-bandhana, one must accept different types of bodies that spoil the human form of facility. Therefore, in Bhagavad-gītā (6.3) karma-yoga is recommended:

ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ

karma kāraṇam ucyate

yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva

śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate

"For one who is a neophyte in the yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who has already attained to yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means." Nonetheless:

karmendriyāṇi saṁyamya

ya āste manasā smaran

indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā

mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate

"One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender." (BG 3.6) One should act for Kṛṣṇa very seriously in order to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and should not sit down to imitate such great personalities as Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura condemned such imitation. Me said:

duṣṭa mana! tumi kisera vaiṣṇava?

pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare,

tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava

"My dear mind, what kind of devotee are you? Simply for cheap adoration, you sit in a solitary place and pretend to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but this is all cheating." Recently at Māyāpur an African devotee wanted to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but after fifteen days he became restless and went away. Do not suddenly try to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, and gradually you will come to the stage of liberation (muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6)).

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

We have got about ten African devotees now in Nairobi branch.

Morning Walk -- April 18, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then what is this? He's... Give him dress. (break) Give him lesson how to make tilaka. He has come to your shelter. You teach him. (break) Just like a diseased person, if he is a little careless, he is not very strict in following the..., it will take some time. It is exactly like that. He, because of his material opulences, he thinks that "Oh, where is the disease? This is all right. I am happy." That is the defect. We have to reduce. That is called tapasya. Not that "Because my tongue is asking me to eat something, therefore I must eat." Not that. That is the difference between ordinary man and gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means one who has conquered over the dictation of the senses. My sense dictates to do something, but when I am able to dictate the sense, "No, you cannot do it," that is called gosvāmī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Dr. Patel: ...maybe an African or Indian?

Prabhupāda: No, Indian.

Dr. Patel: African, after all. Americans must be first. (static interference) ...politically conscious Africans.

Prabhupāda: We have got about ten African devotees now in Nairobi branch. (break) ...to material sense enjoyment. Such persons cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (break) ...avoid the dictation of the senses. But when a man is able to dictate the senses, then he is gosvāmī.

Dr. Patel: That is?

Prabhupāda: Gosvāmī.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Ācchā.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They should come forward and cooperate. It is such a nice thing. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). They are leading men. If they understand, the others will accept it. It is a good thing. They must accept it.

Brahmānanda: In Kenya we went into one government officer asking for some land for a farm. He also said, "We want to give you land right in the middle of the village, so you can build your church there."

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Brahmānanda: He offered that. He said, "All the other religions, they have their... We have certain plots for them, and there is a church for Catholic, a church for Protestant, a church for Bahai."

Prabhupāda: No, no, take anywhere they give land. Yes. That will be recognition. We don't mind for the land, but the government has given land means recognized. That is wanted.

Brahmānanda: Oh yes, yes. (break) One of the African devotees was explaining to the vice-president that verse, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13).

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Brahmānanda: And he was explaining it to him from Bhagavad-gītā. And the vice-president he asked, "Who has given you this knowledge?"

Prabhupāda: Just see. (laughs)

Brahmānanda: He was so impressed. He accepted immediately, "Yes, you are right."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

It doesn't matter.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: ...some Swahili books Cyavana Swami has produced. This is the Topmost Yoga. We had printed this a couple of years ago. This is a reprint. Ufahamawa(?) Kṛṣṇa. The money for this printing was donated to us by Harikeśa Swami, his German yātrā.

Hari-śauri: You printed in Africa?

Brahmānanda: Yes. This is a magazine, Rudiwawumungu(?) It means "Go back to God." Mungu(?) is "God." That says, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Upendra: They have letters explaining what each of the..., beads means, tilaka, clothes, explanation down here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Brahmānanda: To distribute these books Cyavana Swami is having African devotees distribute them. He is organizing them. Cyavana Swami is good at organizing the Africans. But we are not able to distribute them for what it cost to print.

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Brahmānanda: What is that?

Hari-śauri: Doesn't matter.

Brahmānanda: Doesn't matter. Yes. Therefore we have to get... I've asked at the BBT that some fund, if we could set up some fund... We have published in the books that "This is donated to the people of Kenya by ISKCON Frankfurt, West Germany." So he is getting a good advertisement also, that he is sending money out of the country for welfare purposes.

1971 Correspondence

I am very pleased to hear that the African boys are becoming serious devotees. That is the proof of your preaching work, that it becomes touchstone and turns iron to gold.

Letter to Cyavana -- Bombay 26 December, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 9, 1971, along with Trial Balance. Thank you very much. I am very pleased to hear that the African boys are becoming serious devotees. That is the proof of your preaching work, that it becomes touchstone and turns iron to gold. So go on very vigorously in this way, travelling, preaching, selling our books and magazines, distributing prasadam, like that. As long as we keep ourselves pure for preaching, then we shall have all good results—of that there is no doubt. One thing, make certain that your routine work is going on nicely—chanting 16 rounds, rising early, cleansing, street Sankirtana, etc.—then all other programs will be successful. If routine work becomes slack or neglected, then all other attempts will fail. We should always cling to the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by following very strictly the routine work of devotional service, and then we shall qualify to associate with the Lord by becoming very pure, and that is our real happiness, know if for certain.

1972 Correspondence

We have got very nice place there, now concentrate on making men into devotees and recruiting especially the African boys for helping us preach all over the continent of Africa.

Letter to Cyavana -- Los Angeles 22 September, 1972:

I am pleased to understand that things are once again back to normal in Nairobi and that you are all very enthusiastic to spread our preaching work amongst the Africans and American and European boys and girls there. I have heard from Rsi Kumar also that South Africa is first class field in Africa for preaching. Now you say the basic expenditures are finished and we have got very nice place there, now concentrate on making men into devotees and recruiting especially the African boys for helping us preach all over the continent of Africa. That is very good news that you have sent more than $1,200 to Karandhara, now you may order as many more books as you require from him and take similar sanction from the government for repaying him.

I am especially happy to hear that you are making some local African boys and girls into devotees, that I wanted. Preaching is our real business, not getting big, big buildings and doing business for money just to maintain them, no.

Letter to Cyavana -- Vrindaban 11 November, 1972:

I am very glad to receive your letter dated November 3, 1972, that your programme there is improving considerably every week. That is very good news. Yes, I think you have improved the situation there, and you are better manager than Brahmananda. I am especially happy to hear that you are making some local African boys and girls into devotees, that I wanted. Preaching is our real business, not getting big, big buildings and doing business for money just to maintain them, no. We shall live under a tree, that is not difficult, but we must go on preaching every moment, that will make us happy. So i am glad to see also your quiz-test for the African boys, and also your Swahili-language BTG, these are good evidence of your improvement.

1974 Correspondence

This work you are doing for maintaining the African devotees, teaching them the rules and regulations of Krishna Consciousness, is the most important work of the work and I thank you very much.

Letter to Paramesvari -- Bombay 17 May, 1974:

I understand that for over two months since Brahmananda Swami has been away from Africa, you have been in charge of the Nairobi center. This is a great responsibility. Brahmananda Swami has noted that you have not only maintained the center but in his absence on your own taken collection and done the necessary work so that now the temple building is owned by us. I have always wanted this for our Nairobi center. So it is a great credit for you. Therefore this work you are doing for maintaining the African devotees, teaching them the rules and regulations of Krishna Consciousness, is the most important work of the work and I thank you very much.

1975 Correspondence

We are trying to unite the whole human society under the flag of Krishna consciousness, love of God. That is our mission. If we get African devotees, then we are successful.

Letter to Cyavana -- Vrindaban 4 September, 1975:

It is very good that the Government is cooperating by giving land. It is a good opportunity. Do it nicely. Do not worry about the political situation. Try to convince the African leaders that we have nothing to do with politics. We are trying to unite the whole human society under the flag of Krishna consciousness, love of God. That is our mission. If we get African devotees, then we are successful. So already some are coming. Now keep them fixed, and they will bring others. That is nice that the Africans from South Africa are coming from there and joining you. The philosophy of South Africa is simply on the bodily platform. It is all nonsense. Can they be sure that in their next life they will be South Africans?