Guest (5): Unpopularity also means you are creating something.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) That is the reaction.
Guest (5): Here because (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: So therefore so quickly we have become popular in the foreign countries. Even the priestly class, the Christian priestly class, they have recognized that "We are preaching about God, Bible; we could not create such nice boys and girls. And all these young boys, they were Christians and they are attracted, attached to Swami, and they are so nice." They can appreciate that their character and their behavior, everything is so godly. They are astonished.
Guest (5): (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: So therefore the Christian priests, they do not go against us. They appreciate. One Christian priest was talking on plane when I was going to Hawaii. He was so much appreciating my students. So at heart, they are appreciating. The government is appreciating, the public is appreciating. Many fathers come and say, "Oh, Swamijī, we are so fortunate that you have come. You have saved our sons and daughters." And they fall flat to offer me obeisances, although he is not my disciple. And those are directly father and mother, oh, they come to congratulate me in any way because they understand that "Here Swamijī is giving our sons and daughters spiritual life." They hope. They were hopeless. They were confused. So that is not my credit. I am simply presenting the right thing without..., Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without malinterpretation, spoiling time and energy. Everywhere I say like that, that "I have no credit, but...," because the only credit is that I do not adulterate. Now here, you see, the Bhāgavata says that naṣṭa-sadācāro dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. Because this man, this brāhmaṇa boy, Ajamila, in his boyhood... He became attached to the prostitute when he was about twenty years old, young man, and he lost his brahminical qualification. Naṣṭa-sadācāro. But the Bhāgavata says... Now, at the present moment, there are so many so-called brāhmaṇas. They have no sadācāra. Still they are passing as brāhmaṇa. Illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating—everything is there, but he is a brāhmaṇa. Is it not?
Guest (5): Eighty percent. Accepted by birth.
Prabhupāda: But here Bhāgavata says, naṣṭa-sadācāra. As soon as... How? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ: "Because he is attached with a prostitute, he has lost all his qualifications." At the present moment to become attached to a prostitute is no fault. The society accepts: "Oh, that's all... Young man goes to that." Does not mind. But he does not know that this association will make him fall down to the lowest stage of human life. And that is stated next, that he used to live on these principles—beg, borrow, steal and gambling—and he was degraded. And how he was degraded? That will be explained. So people do not take care of their śāstras. They make their own interpretation and therefore India's position is so fallen. They are guided. The great ṛṣis and great sages, they have given them guidance. Vyāsadeva has given guidance. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā. It is stated. "People are rascals, fools. In order to teach them nicely, this highest learned personality, Vyāsadeva, created the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Lokasya ajānataḥ. Ajānataḥ means rascals who has no knowledge.
- anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
- bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
- lokasyājānato vidvāṁś
- cakre sātvata-saṁhitā
- (SB 1.7.6)
Whatever abominable characteristics we have developed, if we want to counteract it, we have to take to bhakti-yoga only. Anartha. Anartha. We have developed so many anartha. We don't require it, but we have developed all these symptoms. So anartha upaśamam. So if you want to cut down these anarthas, then bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje—you have to accept this bhakti-yoga principle to the adhoksaja. Lokasya ajānato: "These rascal men, they do not know it." Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā: "The most learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." And they do not take care of Bhāgavata. They do not take care of Bhagavad-gītā. They take care of a book written by some rascal leaders. That's all. The aim of that book is to kill Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So how you can improve? It is not possible. If they actually want improvement, not only this country or that country, whole world to world, one has to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; otherwise it is doomed. So we are giving the best service to the human society—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You came yesterday? No. This gentleman? Yes? No, you are coming first? So that boy, he was to immediately offer his service to join us. "We can join you if you flatter me. Whatever I know, if you accept, that's all, then I can. And if you say something against my conviction, oh, then I am not going to join." But here the process is, first is, you first surrender. Whatever you know, nonsense, you give it up. First of all become blank slate. So I was told by some authority, a very responsible man, that in Germany there are musical institution. So when a student who goes there who knows something about musical art, he is charged more. Is it a fact? He is charged more. He is charged more because extra endeavor has to be done to make him forget what nonsense he has learned. Because this learning is all nonsense, so one has to take... Just like so many people come. I have to talk so many hours to forget, to make him forget what nonsense he has learned. So he should be charged more, this student. And one who comes as blank slate... They have accepted Kṛṣṇa consciousness because they are blank slates. And in India they think that they have learned so many things. Yes. They have learned from Radhakrishnan, they have learned from Aurobindo, they have learned from Vivekananda, the Ramakrishna, this, that, so many nonsense—except Kṛṣṇa. They have learned everything from so many nonsense except Kṛṣṇa. Now here there is so much advertisement of Ramakrishna... Just see these American boys, they do not know even the name of Ramakrishna in America.