When I started this movement

Expressions researched:
"When I started, wanted to start this movement" |"when i started this movement"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

When I started this movement, somehow or other, I tried to fix up the mind of these boys in Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning I never said that "You have to do this. You have to do that." But somehow or other, they are very nice boys, so they fixed up their mind in Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting.

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. If you want that "In the sunshine or in the sun globe I shall inject darkness," it is not possible. It will be a failure. Sun is so bright that even a big darkness cannot enter. At night it is big darkness, but sun is so strong that as soon as there is glimpse of the sun, immediately whole darkness gone. You haven't got to drive the darkness by separate endeavor. Simply await for the sun rising. Immediately finish. So māyā is darkness. So if you bring Kṛṣṇa within your heart, all māyā will be finished. No more māyā. This is the process. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Māyā can act only when there is no Kṛṣṇa. So therefore Gosvāmī, ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, advises, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet sarve vidhi-niṣedhā syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ. Somehow or other, you fix up your mind on Kṛṣṇa.

So when I started this movement, somehow or other, I tried to fix up the mind of these boys in Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning I never said that "You have to do this. You have to do that." But somehow or other, they are very nice boys, so they fixed up their mind in Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting. Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa—the same thing. Therefore we... Our process is to chant, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always. Then the mind becomes... Chant and hear. Yena tena prakāreṇa. Then everything will be complete. It is so... As we are fallen at the present moment in this age, the remedy is also very effective. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya nitya-muktaḥ paraṁ vrajet. This is the special advantage of this Kali-yuga, because people are so fallen that it is very difficult to raise them to the standard of spiritual understanding by the prescribed method. Prescribed method means tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena niyamena tyāgena (SB 6.1.13). It is very difficult.

General Lectures

When I started this movement I was cooking myself and distributing prasāda. But we do not discriminate that "He is needy..." Everyone is needy. So actually, everyone is in need of spiritual understanding.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

We are also distributing food. Yes. In our Māyāpur daily we are distributing food to two thousand, three thousand. So that is one of our program, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and distributing prasādam. We are distributing... When I started this movement I was cooking myself and distributing prasāda. But we do not discriminate that "He is needy..." Everyone is needy. So actually, everyone is in need of spiritual understanding. So by distributing food, the spiritual food, simply by eating, he will be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he does not do anything. But actually, we are inviting persons to come, sit down, chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and take prasādam and go home. That's all. This is our program. So prasādam is already included. And there is the question of needy men. So we invite any needy man to come and join with us, and we shall feed him. That's all. We invite anyone. But they do not like to come to us to chant. That is the difficulty. "Oh, we'll have to go there and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So they are afraid. So what can I do? We invite everyone, "Please come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance with us, and when you are hungry, take some food. We are prepared to give you." So our program is very easy. And actually, these boys and girls, they were not advised in the beginning to become my initiated student. I simply invited, "You please come." I was chanting in the Tompkinson Park in New York, and many of them were coming. So I invited them, "Please come with me. Take some prasādam." So they used to take that. In this way, gradually, they developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and after some time they proposed, "Swamijī, make me your disciple," initiation. So I said that "You have to follow the rules and regulations." They agreed, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. If you are prepared, then I accept you." They are prepared. They given up. I accept them. That's all. Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

That was my policy, that I shall go America, and if the Americans become devotees then these rascals will be automatically. Here they could not appreciate. When I started, wanted to start this movement, they refused to give their son.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So that was my policy, that I shall go America, and if the Americans become devotees then these rascals will be automatically. Here they could not appreciate. When I started, wanted to start this movement, they refused to give their son.

Hari-śauri: They always say a preacher is never appreciated in his home town.

Prabhupāda: "Swamiji, what benefit there will be by becoming brāhmaṇa, by devotee? They have to earn their livelihood." Spiritual culture is in India practically rejected. They are convinced with the idea that for spiritual culture we are so much behind this material. That is their full conviction.

Hari-śauri: It must have been a big shock for them when they first saw our devotees. It must have been a big shock for them when they saw these shaved heads and chanting.

Prabhupāda: That minister is coming?

Maṇihāra: Today?

Prabhupāda: Somebody told?

1975 Correspondence

Try to train them up and gradually leave the matters to be managed by them, in the hands of the Swiss devotees. When I started this movement, I wanted to bring some men from India.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 14 November, 1975:

So far your misunderstanding with Hamsaduta is concerned, it is not substantial. But in the presence of all GBC, the matter should be settled though. Don't worry. I have received the weekly cash reports. It is very good that you have the same treasury system and reporting system in all your temples. This is wanted. Please keep the accounts very correctly so that we may remain always above suspicion. I am glad that you now have 20 devotees in Geneva. This is very encouraging. Try to train them up and gradually leave the matters to be managed by them, in the hands of the Swiss devotees. When I started this movement, I wanted to bring some men from India. The problem was that in India the men who joined the Gaudiya Math mission were not very educated. So I declined to bring them in the Western countries and by the grace of Krsna I was able to train the local men. And thus gradually, things became successful. The Western people, they are Aryans and ksatriyas in their origin, but due to bad association with the aborigines, they have taken all bad habits and become degenerated. Now we have to revive this Aryan civilization and rectify things. If we do it nicely, then all the Western people will be happy and they will glorify Lord Caitanya. This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prediction, "When they will take this Vedic culture, they will applaude Me." So our mission should be how to have Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu applauded all over the world. His statement is param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. That statement will be fulfilled. That we want to see. It is very good that the new house in Geneva temple was former German Embassy. It is a very good honor that the people voted in favor of giving us the lease. Is this new place near to the river?