Arrival lecture, July 29, 1971

We have got sufficient literature—books, magazines. And the simple method is, even if you do not read—suppose you are not educated, illiterate, you cannot read—still you can reach Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti, devotional service, is not dependent on any material condition. Because one man is very rich, he can get Kṛṣṇa? No. Because one man is very poor, he cannot get Kṛṣṇa? No. That’s not right.

Because one is Hindu or Indian, he can get Kṛṣṇa, not others? No. That is also not. Kṛṣṇa is unconditionally for everyone. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg 14.4].

Otherwise, how He can be God? If He is a Hindu God, just like they describe in the dictionary that Kṛṣṇa, a Hindu God—that is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa does not say that “I am a Hindu God.” But these rascals say Kṛṣṇa is Hindu God. This is going on.

You see in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, sarva yoniṣu kaunteya: “In all species of life,” sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ. There are as many different forms of life. Tāsāṁ mahad yoni brahma: “Their mother is this material nature, and I am their seed-giving father.” Kṛṣṇa says that. So how can Kṛṣṇa can be Indian or Hindu or this or that? No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. And the proof is that five years ago in the Western countries nobody knew what is Kṛṣṇa. How they’re taking Kṛṣṇa in so loving attitude? This is the proof that Kṛṣṇa is for everyone, and everyone is for Kṛṣṇa.

Try to understand this philosophy. Don’t be mislead. It is not a sectarian religion. It is the fact. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya [Cc Madhya 22.107].

The author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, he says, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, our love for Kṛṣṇa, is eternal fact. Everyone has got love for Kṛṣṇa. Now, some way or other, it is covered. So that has to be awakened. Just like covered fire. Sometimes fire is covered by the ashes, and if you fan over the fire and put some new charcoal, again the fire becomes very bright.

So similarly, somehow or other our love for Kṛṣṇa is covered by these material designation: “I am American,” “I am Christian,” “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am this,” “I am that.” These are all ashes. The fire is the spirit soul. So if you rightly fan it over, and you’ll see very soon, the fire will come out again. So how fanning? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa, śuddha-citta, without any embarrassment, without being biased to something else… Śuddha-citte. If you… Then Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, will automatically awaken, simply by hearing.

That is happening. What we are doing? We are chanting everywhere “Hare Kṛṣṇa,” and people are coming by hearing. We’re not bribing them, that “You take some money and become a member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.” Rather, they are paying. So how it is happening, unless that Kṛṣṇa consciousness [is] within him? Try to understand that. Everyone, it doesn’t matter where he is born, what he is, what profession he is now—whatever he may be—simply if he hears about Kṛṣṇa.

Just like after very, very long time, if you hear something which was very intimately known to you, you immediately become attracted: “Oh, that sound is again coming.” You see? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is our original father. As soon as we hear about Kṛṣṇa, naturally we shall be inclined to hear about Him more and more. So the more you hear, the more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and more our life becomes successful. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.