(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, 9th October, 2012, Melbourne, Australia) Lecture: SB 1.12.24
There is a level when one suffers but tolerates it by preaching to themselves:
‘Well, what can I do!? I must somehow or other tolerate it. From this is I can see that Krsna is behind it.’
There is another level when one is so deeply attached to Krsna that the suffering has no meaning at all! It just becomes so small and insignificant. We are seeing that in great and pure devotees. And therefore we are seeing that great and pure devotees are always joyful. It’s not that sometimes when suffering comes they tolerate it but suffer like hell:
‘Somehow or other I’ll just ride it out for Krsna. It is so difficult but I must carry on just like Bali Maharaja.’
Then we see Srila Prabhupada who was very transcendental. Srila Prabhupada is joyful. It is not easy to preach… people are not waiting for us to tell them, ‘This is it… this is the way.’
So it’s not easy but Prabhupada went all alone. What opposition to face that one might become intimidated. Coming all alone from India. He was old also. When Prabhupada went to America, he took with him some cereal as it says in the Lilamrta. I don’t know what it was but I think it was some grains. But he took something with him so that he could survive in case there was nothing to eat. He was thinking:
‘In America there maybe nothing to eat. So all right then, I will eat grains. At least I will have some survival until I figure out something to eat there.’
So yes, he was ready to go into the most difficult circumstances.