Srila Gurudeva: Really we are the eternal servant of Krsna in Vrndavana. Those who have come in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami, in the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, in line of our Gurudeva, in line of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, they are so much fortunate that they are inhabitants of Goloka Vrndavana. They will be the inhabitants of Goloka Vrndavana.

Anyhow they will manage to take us there, so be ready. You are all inhabitants of Goloka Vrndavana by your constitution. We are all the servant of Krsna. That is why Caitanya Mahaprabhu came only five hundred years ago, to bring us all back there. He left a Guru-parampara and the entire Guru-parampara, especially Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he ordered his disciples to preach all over the world, in the western countries, eastern countries, and everywhere. He sent so many everywhere. Among them, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja was so prominent and in a few years he established so many preaching centers throughout the whole world.

He made so many temples and he made so many disciples here and there. It is a very wonderful thing. Wherever I went throughout the whole world I saw that “Oh, very beautiful disciples are here and there.” But when Svamiji left this world and joined Krsna in Vrndavana, then some of his prominent disciples began to fall down because they were thinking that “We are also liberated and we are so powerful.” They thought that “Oh, we have become acarya, like more than our Gurudeva.” That is why they began to fall down.

They were not caring about common devotees. That is why so many devotees left ISKCON and were going here and there. But they wanted to serve their Guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami, or Radha and Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Svami Maharaja ordered me in his last breath, “I want that you should associate with my disciples and you should help them.” I never wanted to give up Vrndavana. I wanted to be in Vrndavana and to chant and remember in a lonely place. I was satisfied.

Also I am not such a learned person or a very high class of devotee. I am like you all. But Krsna wanted, Mahaprabhu wanted, and also Svamiji and our Guruji wanted this. They have dragged me to all these countries to help you. I am happy that knowingly or unknowingly, by their mercy, I am helping them. I want to help all the devotees without consideration of caste and creed, whether they are my disciples or not. I never wanted any disciple. But some forced me to take disciples. So without any desire for worldly gain, I want to help you all. You should always be very energetic and have a very strong will that, “In this very life, we will proceed so much in bhakti.” Without bhakti, anyone in this world cannot be happy.

[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on April 27th, 1998, France, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 27]