When Krishnadasa Kaviraja talks about the expanse of the Krishna consciousness movement, he says it has inundated the whole world. He also says that when Lord Caitanya appeared, He inundated the entire world with love for Krishna.
CC Antya 3.254 states,
caitanyāvatāre vahe premāmṛta-vanyā
saba jīva preme bhāse, pṛthivī haila dhanyā
“There is now a flood of the eternal nectar of love of Godhead due to the incarnation of Lord Caitanya. All living entities are floating in that flood. The entire world is now thankful to the Lord.”
Someone may ask, how is that possible? We see such a small number of people practicing Krishna consciousness. How can the whole world be said to be inundated? And during Mahaprabhu’s time, He preached only in India. What about other countries?
Our acharyas explain that Mahaprabhu does this through His associates. That is the inner meaning.
CC Antya 9.1 states:
agaṇya-dhanya-caitanya-gaṇānāṁ prema-vanyayā
ninye ’dhanya-jana-svānta-maruḥ śaśvad anūpatām
“The innumerable, glorious followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu brought a constant flood to the desertlike hearts of the unfortunate with an inundation of ecstatic love.”
And even now, Mahaprabhu’s movement is continuing. Prabhupada would say that this Hare Krishna Movement is 500 years old; and Lord Caitanya is the founder of our movement.
adyāpiha sei līlā kare gaurarāya
kona kona bhāgyavān dekhibāre pāya
“Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu performs His transcendental pastimes even now. Those who are very, very fortunate are able to witness these pastimes even today.”
Eternal Dharma of Every Jiva
Srila Prabhupada repeatedly emphasized that Krishna consciousness doesn’t belong to any particular caste or creed. It is the sanatana dharma, the eternal occupation of every living entity.
When Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the seed-giving father of all living entities, He doesn’t limit it to those born in Hindu families. He is everyone’s father. Therefore, the Holy Name of Krishna has universal appeal. It cannot be limited to any caste, creed, color, ethnicity, or religion.
When Srila Prabhupada began the movement in the West, there were hardly any Indians. In fact, it was extremely rare for an Indian to join. How could the Westerners align with something that seemed so foreign to their culture?
Namacarya Haridasa Thakura was born in a Muslim family. Yet he boldly preached the glories of the Holy Name. How could he connect with Krishna, being born in that background?
Actually, it wasn’t foreign for any of them. Krishna consciousness is natural. A son may forget who his father is, but the father never forgets his child. When the child is informed of the whereabouts of his father, he becomes eager to reconnect.
Therefore, Krishna consciousness is not a sect or a cult. It is a way of life. It is the process of reconnecting with our eternal root Sri Krishna. And to connect with Him is natural for every living being.
Absolute Purification
Just as it is natural for everyone to connect with the Holy Name, it is also natural that anyone can be purified simply by hearing it. The connection with the Holy Name and purification by the Holy Name does not depend on any external factors.
When we preach the glories of the Holy Name, or simply chant it, we should do so with full conviction. It surely has the power to transform desert-like hearts into large oases of nectarine waters.
Srila Prabhupada took two things to the West—the Holy Name and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. When he was feeling great despondency, he went to Tompkins Square Park and began chanting the Holy Name with his eyes tightly shut. After three hours, he found many people gathered around him. That’s how ISKCON began. Even today, in Tompkins Square Park, beneath the same tree it is written: This is the tree under which the Hare Krishna movement began.
When Prabhupada would lecture in the early days, he would begin first with half an hour of Hare Krishna kirtans, and end with half an hour of kirtans. Those who heard the pure sound vibration of the Holy Name from the lotus mouth of Srila Prabhupada also developed the same faith in their lives. How fortunate they were to hear the pure Holy Name from Srila Prabhupada!
ISKCON began with faith in the Holy Name. Its progress is sustained by that same faith. And the spiritual advancement of each ISKCON member also depends on that faith.
To the degree we have faith in the Holy Name, to that degree we can create an impact, in our own lives and also in the lives of others.
