00;00;18;00 - 00;00;54;24

I'd like to speak a few words if you all will be patient. About one year
ago, by the grace of Srila Prabhupada and Radha Kalachandji, we
were brought here to this temple, and I feel that it is the desire of
Krishna and Srila Prabhupada that I'd be along with all of you in this
mid America zone.

00;00;56;12 - 00;01;24;07

I feel that we have a great responsibility not only to the people of the
world, but also to all of the acharyas will come in disciplic
succession, to all of our Godbrothers and Godsisters in America, and
of course, to Lord Krishna.

00;01;26;07 - 00;01;55;18

I feel that our movement has not yet been properly understood or
accepted by the people in general. We all know that we have the
very best intention in our mind and heart in wanting to help people.
But somehow or other, that good intention has not been yet
communicated, so that people actually understand it.

00;01;58;20 - 00;02;35;00

So, we have to take it that it is our own fault, that lack of

communication exists. After all, a teacher should not blame the
student. So, if we are trying to pose ourselves as teachers, then we
should not blame the innocent public if they have misunderstood,
but rather we should search with ourselves to find ways to better
communicate our great interest in their well-being.

00;02;37;00 - 00;03;13;21

So, the world’s situation is becoming very tense, because the Kali
yuga is increasing very quickly and it requires, therefore, that we
very carefully consider how to present this movement to the public
at large and how to present ourselves individually.

00;03;17;06 - 00;03;46;25

So I feel, based upon being with Srila Prabhupada and based upon
my own vision, that the American people are the best people in the
world. In the last year of Srila Prabhupada’s life in London, he began
to cry one day because he was thinking about coming to America.

00;03;48;04 - 00;04;01;21

And he began to cry, thinking of the American people. And he said

everything that he has, he owes to the people of America. He said,
they have given me their best sons and daughters. They have given
me their money.

00;04;02;13 - 00;04;26;06

They have helped me in so many ways how I can ever forget them.
That's what how he was speaking. So actually, I believe that the
American people have great ability to understand and to embrace
our movement, if we are very expert in presenting it to them.

00;04;27;24 - 00;05;16;25

So, the expertise will be when you know how to explain something to
someone in a way in which it can be accepted and digested by them
and not reject it. So, in terms of presenting this movement, we have
to present it in such a way that people will find that it is not so
different, and it is not so different than what they're used to. Just like
this is a church building, so we're conducting a service here. It's not
so different. Someone may be baptized and we're performing
initiation. It's not so vastly different. We may not sit in the pews, but
we're sitting on the floor.
00;05;17;20 - 00;05;38;16

I don't think that those things will be difficult for them to accept. But
our social institutions have to be shaped in such a way that they're
acceptable. In other words, we have to try to find those things which
we have in common with them and add the element of Krishna.

00;05;39;07 - 00;06;06;07

That should be our method of preaching, that we should try to

extract those things which they are doing, which are good and just
direct it to Krishna. So in this respect, it may be that we have to
shape our presentation or activities in a way which will be more
easily recognized by them.

00;06;06;29 - 00;06;34;29

But the element which will not be changed is Krishna consciousness.

So, I feel that this is a very important year for us in the year 1980
because it will require that each one of you take great responsibility
upon yourselves to actually become a valuable servant of Krishna.

00;06;36;14 - 00;06;53;15

That means that you will not depend on somebody else to support
you, but that you will yourself be of great value. I don't just mean
financially. I mean in every respect. In other words, it is time for
everyone to mature.

00;06;54;17 - 00;07;25;13

Not that one or two leaders should have great vision or great
responsibility, but that all of you should have vision, maturity and
responsibility. It is not any longer possible for you to remain
childlike in the sense of being irresponsible or being too much
sheltered or protected from the realities.
00;07;26;10 - 00;07;48;14

Why should only a few leaders have to take the full responsibility,
the full weight of the responsibility of bringing Krishna
consciousness to others? Rather, I would like it that each one of you
take a more mature attitude in terms of your realization of the world
around you.

00;07;49;12 - 00;08;20;00

And rather than just condemning it in terms of your vision. Try to

see those things in the world which can be utilized for Krishna
instead of condemning wholeheartedly everything. Try to deal with
other people and with other situations, try to draw out the
similarities between that situation and Krishna consciousness and
magnify those similarities because there is goodness in everything.

00;08;20;00 - 00;08;43;13

Learn to take gold, in other words, from a filthy place. That's a more
mature vision to learn to take gold from a filthy place. Just like in our
article in the harmonist, rites, rituals and Holy Days, we have shown
how in every religion there's austerity, there's penance.

00;08;44;04 - 00;09;02;20

There are so many good qualities. So why not bring those qualities
out? Let us magnify those qualities. Let us make our preaching on
that basis, because then people will find a way to understand
something more about this Krishna consciousness movement.

00;09;03;12 - 00;09;26;01

It is not a movement only meant for one or two hundred people.

Actually, there's no reason why thousands of people should not
embrace this movement, because actually this movement presents
solutions to all their problems. But then, we have to solve our own
problems first.

00;09;27;04 - 00;09;49;05

We can no longer continue to have problems, whether social,

financial or publicity wise. We can no longer afford to have those
problems and still say to people that we can solve your problems.
First of all, you have to make your house in order.

00;09;50;23 - 00;10;16;05

Then you can invite other people and say, look, our house is in order.
This is an exemplary way to live. So, I'm going to demand from
everybody that this mature mentality be developed. And I assure you
that if you are willing to take up the challenge, that you'll be a great
gainer for it.

00;10;16;12 - 00;10;46;16

You will not lose. You will not lose. You simply have to keep faith in
Guru and Krishna. So I think that you will see that it requires some
major renovations. And that is the business of the acharya to adjust
the various situations according to time, place and circumstance.

00;10;47;27 - 00;11;05;06

So we want to preach in that mood according to time, place and

circumstance. I'm not being very much particular, a very specific
rather in the points, but I'm keeping them general. The specifics can
come on an individual basis in terms of personal instruction.

00;11;05;25 - 00;11;31;00
But the idea is to try to change the world rather than to condemn it.
That is my point. Rather to improve, instead of remove. So,
improving means you take what's already there and you add on to it.