Somehow or other, yena tena prakāreṇa, you think of Kṛṣṇa, you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, you just offer your obeisances, and... This temple is here. There are many temples. What is the process? Process... If somebody comes here, he immediately think of Kṛṣṇa. By seeing Kṛṣṇa's Deity... Kṛṣṇa's Deity and Kṛṣṇa is not different. So even if he thinks that it is some stone Deity, but Kṛṣṇa's stone Deity... Therefore "Kṛṣṇa's," he says—that will benefit him. Some way or other, he is chanting "Kṛṣṇa." "Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma is very nice in this temple." So that "Kṛṣṇa" and seeing Kṛṣṇa, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, chanting Kṛṣṇa Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). And if you worship Kṛṣṇa, offer ārātika, bhoga, decorate with flowers Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan mandira-mār...** Even you wash this temple, you get the benefit. Somehow or other, be in touch with this temple, with the holy name, with the Vaiṣṇava. In this way, by constant association-saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ—by association of devotees, you become a Kṛṣṇa devotee.
Actually it is happening. In your country, the Europeans and Americans, say, ten years before the beginning of this movement, you did not know Kṛṣṇa, every one of you. That's a fact. How you are now mad after Kṛṣṇa? It is simply because by association. So association is so important thing. You boys and girls in your country, you were so luxuriously living. Why you have left everything and you are after a beggar sannyāsī? It is the association. The association is so strong. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,
- tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vās
- janame janame mor ei abhilāṣ
"Let me engage myself in the service of the Gosvāmīs and associate with the devotees. I do not want anything." Janame janame mor ei abhilāṣ. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that kīṭa-janma hau, jathā tuwā dās. This association. "Let me become a worm, not a devotee, even worm." Kīṭa. Kīṭa means worm, an insignificant ant, worm. Better to remain as an ant with the association of devotees than to become a Brahmā without any devotee's association. Brahmā-janme nāhi mora āś. Bahir-mukha brahmā-janme, nāhi mora āś, kīṭa janma hau, jathā tuwā dās. This is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's hankering. So some way or other, we are propagating this association, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Why? Why we are establishing so many centers? Just to give the people in general the chance of association. It is very important thing, association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ.
So either kāma or lobha or bhaya or enviousness, some way or other connect with Kṛṣṇa. Just like the gopīs. The gopīs, they liked Kṛṣṇa. They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. They did not know. They liked Kṛṣṇa. He was a very funny boy, young boy, very beautiful, and these girls were attracted. They went to Kātyāyanī: "Mother Kātyāyanī, please give Kṛṣṇa as our husband." Their only prayer was that. They did not go to Kātyāyanī for begging: dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, yaśo dehi—no. "Give me Kṛṣṇa. Give me Kṛṣṇa." So there is no harm to worship the deity, I mean to say, other demigods. But that is not possible for anyone. That was possible only for the gopīs, because they did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. Wherever they go, they want Kṛṣṇa. But we worship demigods not for Kṛṣṇa—for my sense gratification. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñāna yajanty anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). When we worship any other demigods... Just like you worship Gaṇeśa for siddhi, ṛddhi-siddhi. You will find in mercantile shop, namo gaṇeśāya namaḥ ṛddhi-siddhi kurdan mile(?). So similarly, we worship Goddess Durgā for beautiful wife. These are prescribed in the śāstras, that "If you want this, then you worship this Deity. If you want this, then you worship this Deity." So different worshipers of demigods, they are meant for satisfying the senses. But Kṛṣṇa is not that. You cannot satisfy your senses by worshiping Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is not order-supplier: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, please give me this. Then I shall worship You." Kṛṣṇa does not accept such worship. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam: (BG 18.66) "You first of all surrender to Me. I am not your order-supplier." This is Kṛṣṇa's worship. So those who are not taking Kṛṣṇa as order-supplier, those who are accepting Kṛṣṇa as order-carrier, he will be successful. Otherwise it will take time. Don't take Kṛṣṇa as your order-carrier, order-supplier. You become. Hṛṣīkena-hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means when you engage your senses for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. And if you take Kṛṣṇa for satisfying your senses, just like you worship other demigod, that is not bhakti. That is not bhakti.