So if I have turned so many people to understand Krsna, that is service

[krsna]

Devotee: So we should be able to see the quality of man we are preaching to.

 

Prabhupada: Yes, you have to make him intelligent. Everyone within this material world is supposed to be a fool. Because everyone is thinking, “I am this body.” So he’s fool. A cat is thinking, “I’m cat.” A dog is thinking, “I am dog.” So if somebody thinks in relationship with the body, “I am Frenchman,” “I am Englishman,” “I am...”, then where is the difference between him and the dog? He’s thinking himself as this body. Therefore at least in this modern world, the so-called nationalism, everyone is thinking, “I am Englishman,” “I am Frenchman,” “I am Indian,” “I am this,” “black,” “white.” He’s thinking in a way what he is not. Therefore he’s a fool. All these big, big political leaders, Napoleon, Hitler, Churchill, they fought with this consciousness, “I am Englishman,” “I am German,” “I am Frenchman.” That’s all. Even the big, big leaders, they are fools. And what to speak of common men?

 

Devotee: In the United States, there are something called minority groups. Minority group means like the Irish or the Negroes, the Jews...

 

Prabhupada: They’re also fools. They’re minority fools.

Devotee: Minority fools?

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Because he’s thinking, “I am Irishman.”

 

Devotee: Yes, but their point is that “Even if we are spirit soul, we are still being exploited because we are a small number. So we must band together to protect ourselves.”

 

Prabhupada: You are exploited always. Why do you blame this man or that man? You are being exploited by maya. Where is your position of freedom?

 

Devotee: They say, “Well, maya we cannot fight, but we can fight the government.”

 

Prabhupada: Why should you fight? Can you fight with death? Maya has imposed upon you death. So fight with maya, then there will be no death. That you cannot do. So you are always defeated. That is your position. So the best thing is surrender to Krsna for protection. That is wanted. We don’t think, “minority.” How many Hare Krsna people are there in Paris?

 

Devotee: Seventy, eighty.

 

Prabhupada: Insignificant. But we are not sorry. Minority, majority, all these are foolishness. The whole platform is mistaken. Rupa Goswami was a minister. He was in the majority. His associates were big, big zamindars, big businessmen, politicians. But he preferred to resign that post and become a minority, to live alone in Vrndavana underneath a tree. Why he preferred this? By remaining there alone, he has given you the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. So we have to see how much service we are going to give Krsna. This minority, majority, these are all material conceptions of life. If you can give major service to Krsna, that is your success of life. I started this movement alone, minority. Is it not?

 

Devotee: Yes, one.

 

Prabhupada: One only, less than minority! (laughter) The minority, majority, these are material conceptions. And spiritual is how much you are giving service to Krsna. That is considered. That is to be taken into consideration. Krsna says Himself, “Out of millions and millions of people, one may understand Me.” So if I have turned so many people to understand Krsna, that is service. At least, they are trying to understand Krsna. (Morning walk June 11,1974)

[krsna]

 

 

Srila Prabhupada (Hawaii, 1975):

 

There should be ideal life, at least the leaders, the president, the GBC. They will show the example, and they (the mass of devotees) will follow. Then it is beneficial. And all of them are fools? Then it is fool's paradise. At least, in the blind association, at least if one man has got eyes, then he can lead all the blind men. But if all of them are blind, then it is fool's paradise. So somehow or other, we have got now a position. People like us. So we should not spoil by personal sense gratification. That is my request.