Prabhupāda: that we accept devotees from any part of the world. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). Just immediately we initiated a devotee, Bhṛgu Muni dāsa. He is from Iran. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is this, that
- pṛthivite āche yata nagarādi-grāma
- sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
- (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that in every village and every town on the surface of the globe should at least hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So what is your country?
Devotee (1): The United States.
Prabhupāda: The United States. United States, of course, it is going on. In Brazil, other countries, now they are spreading. So do it very nicely. What is that?
Devotee (2): Parama-karuṇa.
Prabhupāda: Parama-karuṇa dāsa. Come on.
Devotees: Jaya. Haribol.
Prabhupāda: (break)
- . . . kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
- kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
- (CC Madhya 19.53)
Batao kya jawab. Tell me the answer. Huh? And the name? (break) Those who are initiated this evening, I have several times explained what is the meaning of initiation. Initiation means beginning of receiving transcendental knowledge. In the Vedas it is enjoined that in order to understand the transcendental science, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). The human form of life is meant for understanding transcendental knowledge. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth.
So everyone should be interested to understand the Absolute Truth. But this is Kali-yuga. Practically nobody is interested. The symptoms of Kali-yuga is Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are very slow or all bad, mandāḥ. And even if one is little anxious, he is victimized by some false way. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And Manda-bhāgyā. Therefore preaching is required to awaken them to spiritual consciousness.