Interview: Why Come to Australia? – Srila Gurudeva Katha

Interview: Why Come to Australia?

January 31, 1997

Australia

Srila Gurudeva: If they want to come, they can come.

Devotee: Gurudeva, this is Jaya Krsna Prabhu from Australia. He’s a disciple of Gour Govinda Maharaja and he wants to take shelter of you.

Srila Gurudeva: Very good.

Devotee: He’s doing a recording here.

Srila Gurudeva: Where is Brajanatha?

Devotee: He’s coming.

Srila Gurudeva: If I can’t understand, you can help.

Devotee: Okay.

Interviewer: What is the purpose of your journeys and traveling? 

Srila Gurudeva: We know that all conditioned souls are eternal servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We also know that we are not this body. One cannot have any kind of happiness or peace of mind if they have no faith in God. In our Indian Vedas and Upanisads, it has been told that we have forgotten Godhead. This world is like a jail, and we have come here because we have forgotten Godhead. We should know that we cannot be happy here. 

We should have trust and faith in Krsna or Godhead. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the embodiement of love and affection. We want that everyone should have faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We also want that they should be happy in this world, in their next birth and after liberation. We want everyone to be happy forever.

I have come to preach the mission of Krsna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, our Guru and especially my siksa-guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, who preached and established so many preaching centers and temples all over the world. After his departure, so many gurus in thier line deviated. Some of the sincere and senior Vaisnavas were neglected, and they became like orphans. Many of them deviated from the path of bhakti. 

Our siksa-guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, on his last day in this world, ordered me to help all his disciples. He also ordered me to give him samadhi with my own hands. This is my first duty: To obey his order and help the devotees who are now neglected, having given up ISKCON. Also to train them, and explain to them what the mission of Svamiji is: Pure love and affection for Krsna.

My spiritual master has also orderd me to go everywhere and preach the same mission. Devotees from various countries around the world have invited me to come and preach this mission. I thought, “This is my duty: to obey my Gurus, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, called Prabhupada in western countries, and especially my Guru.” 

Interviewer: Will you be going to the Iskcon farm here in Australia?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes, if they will not oppose. I also thought, “My duty is to go to the Western and Eastern countries where Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja Prabhupada went. Wherever he went is a sacred place, so I should take the feet dust of Svamiji from wherever he went.” So I must go to this farm, if they will not oppose.

Interviewer: Why would they oppose you to go to the ISKCON farm?

Srila Gurudeva: I don’t know. But I think that some of them are thinking like dogs. If we go to any place, others are barking and doing so. I don’t know why they do this, because they are all my family. I think of them all as my godbrothers. 

Interviewer: How long will you be here in Australia?

Srila Gurudeva: I will be here for three weeks.  

Interviewer: In that time, you will be meeting with the devotees?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. In the morning and evening. In the evening especially, from 5 to 7 or 8 pm, we will have regular classes here. Devotees from around the world, about 100 or more, they will regularly attend the classes.

Interviewer: Does it upset you or do you feel hurt that there might be people who would oppose you, like ISKCON is opposing you? 

Srila Gurudeva: No. A very rare person can oppose those who are not understanding all these things. They should not be like this. I am always favorable to them. I want to help them and to make ISKCON very strong. 

Interviewer: Do you think your journey to Australia will help strengthen ISKCON?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. Wherever I went in Western countries, America,  Holland,  England,  Canada, and so many places, they became so inspired. Those who left ISKCON came and are now chanting, remembering and doing all these activities.

Interviewer: In the past, there have been problems in Australia with the leaders of ISKCON and other devotees falling away from ISKCON, as you said. Its a known fact about some big leaders here.

Srila Gurudeva: I especially came for this. To help them develop strong faith in Krsna. They should not give up and they should not fall. I think if they will associate, they will develop very strong faith. 

Interviewer: What happens if someone falls away? Do you welcome them back ?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes, we help them to come back. Whether they are in family life or the renounced order, no harm. They should go on chanting Krsna’s name, remembering Him and doing all these activities. In the primary stage, which is called kanistha-adhikara, they are lacking knowledge of bhakti. There seems to be so many different groups, and it seems that they are struggling against each other. But actually, in the advanced stage, in a higher stage, there is no struggling. Nothing. There is only the group of bhakti. At that time there will be no quarrel. In lower stages, it may seem like that. But we think that there is nothing to quarrel about.

If they will develop their Krsna conciousness, they will think, “We are all in one family.” The whole world, whether they are devotees or not, they are parts and parcels of God. Like world brotherhood. Even creepers, trees, animals, all the living entities, are all sons or parts and parcels of Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. They should all be honored. We should not kill or eat them. Since we cannot create living entities, we should not kill them.

If we are killing them, we should know that they will kill us in the next life. If you will kill animals and consume meat, eggs, and all these things, our nature will be the same, like wild animals. So don’t do all these things and tell others to follow this as well.

Interviewer: In America, in the Hare Krsna movement, there were some killings, some bad things happening. Some devotees got involved in some murder, some killing. What effect does this have on the Hare Krsna community around the world when they hear this and people read in the newspaper that ‘Hare Krsna’s’ are killing?

Srila Gurudeva: Those who are killing and doing bad activities, actually they were never part of ISKCON, nor are they part of ISKCON now. They don’t realize what ISKCON is. They are always out of ISKCON. They outwardly came to ISKCON to fulfill any material desire, whether it was to make very easy money or for pratistha, fame. They outwardly came to ISKCON and had the wrong idea that they were ISKCON. Any real member of ISKCON cannot kill, nor can he criticize anyone. He cannot speak a lie. He has honor for all creatures, animals, creepers, and trees. They cannot kill anyone. 

Interviewer: Are you trying to give the real message of love, of what Krsna conciousness is all about?

Srila Gurudeva: Certainly. We are giving the real, absolute message of love and trying to help all without consideration of cast or creed.

Interviewer:  Thank you very much .

Srila Gurudeva: Thank you also. Give them some prasadam. I’m happy to help you.