Devotee (1): So do you want to give (indistinct) authorization to take sannyāsa as soon as possible?
Prabhupāda: That I tell you, not immediately. But our main business is preaching. Either do it as a gṛhastha or as sannyāsī, it does not matter. This is only formality. The real work is preaching. Just like Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha and Lord Caitanya was a sannyāsī, but He was taking lesson from Rāmānanda Rāya. This is Caitanya-līlā. He is a sannyāsī and He is God Himself, He is taking lesson from a grhastha who is His disciple. So the real thing is preaching must go on sincerely. This gṛhastha, vānaprastha, these are material regulative principles. Real life is Kṛṣṇa's service. That we have to do, that's all. So whatever position is suitable for you, you accept. You remain as a gṛhastha, remain as sannyāsī, remain as brahmacārī as it becomes suitable for you, but preach. That is the main business. If you lacking in preaching and become a sannyāsī, what is the use of sannyāsa? Better... A gṛhastha is better. Just like I asked Gaurasundara to go to Hawaii. He was just a boy, but he did. Now there is center, nice. So I'm very glad. So you are also doing that. It doesn't matter whether gṛhastha. Karandhara is gṛhastha. But we have to serve Kṛṣṇa very nicely. That is our main criteria. So we have to see in what position I can serve better Kṛṣṇa. That is our policy. Otherwise, either gṛhastha or sannyāsī, there's no difference. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya
- (CC Madhya 8.128)
Preaching work is for the guru. So Kṛṣṇa... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says it doesn't matter whether he is a gṛhastha or vānaprastha or a brāhmaṇa or śūdra. It doesn't matter. If he knows what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and preaches, then he is guru. That's all. So we have to become like that. It doesn't matter what we are, but whether I am preaching nicely. That is required. But still there is some regulative principles like sannyāsī and brahmacārī will be like this, gṛhastha will be like this. That is the external. But the main business is preaching. So you have got good opportunity, you have got good name, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is being appreciated. So live very cautiously and preach very cautiously and seriously, then in this one life you will become successful, go back to home, back to Godhead. One life. You haven't got to wait for another life. If this life we work sincerely, then our business is finished. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is assured by Kṛṣṇa. "After giving up this body, he doesn't come to this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti, "He comes to Me." This is said by Kṛṣṇa. Why shall we disbelieve? So serve this life very sincerely and go back to Kṛṣṇa immediately. That is intelligence. Why should you wait for another life? We do not know what life we can get. May not be possible. So we should be very responsible to this life in serving Kṛṣṇa. Make yourself successful. Don't waste a single moment. Every moment should be utilized to serve Kṛṣṇa. Always think, how I can serve Kṛṣṇa? The direction is already there. The work is sufficient. If you don't want to do, that is a different thing. There is sufficient work to do. If you cannot do anything, you can go and meet any man and request him, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." What is the difficulty? You can request. That your endeavor to request him is your service. He may not chant. But if you request him, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa..." If you cannot do anything, if you meet anyone in the street and say "Please... (end)