Gour Govinda Swami: I thank you, one and all, for your love and affection. I came back from my preaching tour in the States and Canada. Everywhere I felt overwhelming rejoicing and welcome, with repeated requests to come again and spend more time. Everywhere the devotees requested us to stay at least one week in each place.
So I told them: nothing is mine. As a water reservoir supplies through pipes, similarly, the reservoir is there — Guru and Gauranga are the reservoir. I am just a mere pipe. I only supply what comes through the pipe. Nothing is mine. If it has attracted you and you have gained something spiritually, it is their causeless mercy.
This time I also found a good response. Last time when I went, I was very disappointed — very much disappointed. But this time I found there was some response. Raghunatha arranged programs in such places where many of my godbrothers, Prabhupada’s disciples, are staying. I met them and found they were feeling very disappointed, very weak, and most of them were gliding down. So I prayed for them to my Guru and Gauranga Mahaprabhu, and by hearing Krishna-katha and Mahaprabhu’s katha, they became enlivened. They requested me to give them association. But what can I do? I said, it is not mine. You pray and offer your prayer to Guru and Gauranga. They can empower and sanction. As a cripple climbs mountains and the lame become eloquent speakers of the Vedas, I may be like that. Nothing is mine.
This is Mahaprabhu’s movement. There is no question of disappointment and pessimism — it is all optimism. Don’t be disappointed. Just follow in the footsteps of the previous acaryas, the mahajanas. Just follow it. Don’t twist anything, don’t add any deliberation of your own. Just follow it as it is. You will receive all their blessings and mercy, and that mercy is so powerful you cannot conceive of it. It is inconceivable. Simply do it, and you will be pushed ahead. Help is always there, as we and the previous acaryas have said.
The kripa is ahaituki — causeless. The mercy is always there, like a merciful rope always hanging. Only you have to catch hold of it. If you don’t catch it, how can you receive it? That is the only requirement. The mercy is there, causeless and always available. You just have to catch it. But you are not catching it; therefore you feel disappointed and pessimistic. But there is no question of disappointment or pessimism in Mahaprabhu’s movement. You just do it.
My Guru Maharaja told me: if somebody needs your help, Gour Govinda, you may give them help. There is no help but spiritual help. No other help is there. So I am simply executing his order. Though my body is old and crippled, with many physical difficulties, still I am coming. Now I am traveling and touring throughout the world. I don’t know how I am doing it. I feel it is only by Mahaprabhu’s and my revered spiritual master’s potential mercy. Nothing else. Sometimes I am amazed how it takes place and how it happens.
Raghunatha Bhatta also made such a hurried program — no rest, nothing. After a three-hour flight, the plane lands, we get down, and immediately run to the programs to speak. [Laughter.] Sometimes five or six hours’ drive, sometimes eight hours by car, just go — program is there — speak! Anyhow, Krishna-katha is so powerful. Though the body felt so tired and weak, when I spoke Krishna-katha I became enlivened. I forgot everything, all my weakness. I felt and experienced that. It is a question of realization. This is life — real life. Otherwise, what is this material body and material life? I felt: that is real life.
In spite of all difficulties — traveling, being unprepared for what to speak — still, the words came from that source. Hours and hours altogether. It is only the causeless mercy of my revered spiritual master and Mahaprabhu. And it is your love, affection, prayer, and goodwill that brought me here and made my preaching tour successful.
I thank you, one and all, and I request you: let such goodwill, love, and affection remain forever. May you all have the blessings of Guru and Gauranga and make your life successful. Hare Krishna!
Devotees: Jaya Srila Gurudeva ki jaya!