Arrival Address

[devotees offer obeisances]

Prabhupāda: So I thank you very much for your kind reception. It is necessary.

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṅāravindam

This is the process, Vedic process, to receive the transcendental knowledge through the paramparā system, and the reception or honor given to the spiritual master, it goes to Kṛṣṅa. Spiritual master is the official collector. Just like in government there is collector. He receives the money, taxes, from the citizens, not for his personal use but for the government. Similarly, this is the Vedic system, to receive knowledge through the transparent medium, guru, and to receive... Guru means the honor goes to Kṛṣṅa. So this is necessary. This is not an artificial thing, but spiritually it is necessary. Therefore we hold Vyāsa-pūjā day.

So I am very glad to see that you are maintaining the temple standard as good as I saw when I left. That is my satisfaction. And keep this, I mean to say, situation, atmosphere, always, and follow the regulative principles, chant sixteen rounds, you'll remain always happy. Because although we are in Los Angeles, we have nothing to do with the material atmosphere of Los Angeles. Therefore a devotee who lives with Kṛṣṅa or in Kṛṣṅa consciousness, he does not live in the material world. He always live in the spiritual world. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māṁ cāvyabhicāriṅi-bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate: "Anyone who is engaged in bhakti-yoga with Kṛṣṅa," sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26],

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

"such person is always above these material modes of nature."

Our difficulty, or miserable condition of life, is due to being under the material laws of nature. So it is very simple method, and you are all intelligent boys and girls in the Western country, and I am very happy that you have taken it seriously. And continue this. You'll never be unhappy. And not only here but also, as Kṛṣṅa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65],

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

if you simply practice these four principle—always think of Kṛṣṅa, man-manā, or become Kṛṣṅa's devotees and offer Kṛṣṅa obeisances and worship Kṛṣṅa—these four... We are teaching these four principle in the temple: how to worship Kṛṣṅa, how to serve Kṛṣṅa, how to become Kṛṣṅa's devotee, and how to think of Kṛṣṅa twenty-four hours. And if we do this, there is guarantee. Kṛṣṅa says, mām eva eṣyasi asaṁśaya: "Without any doubt, you will come to Me. You will go back to home, back to Godhead."

So do not be slackened. And it is not difficult. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg 9.2].

[This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.]

This devotional service is so nice. It is... To execute the devotional is also very pleasing. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. And whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. In the material world, suppose you have got some money. So that is not permanent. But anything, material possession, that is not permanent. Especially after death, everything is finished—another new chapter. That we do not know. But devotional service, it is guaranteed. It is permanent asset, even you cannot finish in this life. But that does not mean you should be neglectful. Try to finish the completely to become Kṛṣṅa conscious in this life. Do not keep in abeyance. That is not intelligence. But even if it is not finished, then the next life a human life is guaranteed, and you begin again where you ended. These are the śāstric... So execute this devotional service very sincerely, seriously. Even there is little inconvenience, tolerate it. There is no inconvenience. But if you think it is inconvenience—that is our mental concoction—still, you should not be neglectful in the discharging your duties in devotional service.

So those who are engaged in Deity worship, those who are engaged in saṅkīrtana party, those who are engaged in distributing books, those who are engaged in the office for keeping accounts—and all of them in devotional service—not a single moment waste. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31].

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

And whenever you have got time, read books. Now we have got volumes of books. Again we have got another five volumes of books. All are now immediately published. So you have got enough to study. And those who are gṛhasthas, children, we have got our Dallas. As soon as the children is fit, three to four years, you can send to Dallas. They are taking very much care. And if your children are educated Sanskrit and English, and reads all our books, he is more than any university M.A., Ph.D. More than. The M.A., Ph.D. of the ordinary university will not be able to be compared with them. So rest assured that education, culture, happiness, satisfaction, and next, go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol. All glories to His Divine Grace. [end]