(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 April 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Lecture at House Program)
I remember a Vyasa puja offering from Bhurijana, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He joined in 1968 and then around 40 years later, Bhurijana wrote an offering to Prabhupada. In the offering he wrote, “I do not really have anything to report. I did not really do anything extraordinary this year. I did not distribute many books. The only thing I can say is that I am still here.”
I liked that offering because he made a deep point – 40 years and still here! That is something. There are many who have been around for more than 40 years and are still here. If we are still here that makes all the difference. At the end of the day, we can try to convince the world but are we ourselves convinced?
We have to be convinced; we have to really dedicate ourselves and to give everything we have. It has to come to that, we can take some time to get there, no problem. It is not that we have a burnout program where everyone has to push themselves beyond their limits, but for how long are we going to drag our feet? A few more grey hairs and still dragging our feet! How many years do we have anyway. Actually, what guarantee do we have that we are going to get old so how long can we postpone? This is not only for you – it is for me also. How long can I postpone? So many things I am postponing. How long can I postpone?
I have books I want to finish. I always find a reason why I cannot do it – too busy, too tired, health, this that, always reasons not to finish and I was thinking, “Yeah, but Srila Prabhupada just focused. He just focused.” So if we focus, it will be done. If we focus, so many things will be done. If you really focus then I think so many things become possible! So when will we focus?
Those kinds of thoughts we have and we think, ‘Yeah, but I also want some happiness in this world.’ All right, have some happiness in this world but understand that it is going to be ‘some’. Have a piece of cake with lots of cream, and it is tasty, but then afterwards you have to deal with the thing, you know. Once you have swallowed it, the fun of it is over. Once it has passed the tongue then the fun of the cake is over. It blows up in the stomach like a sponge, ‘That was a heavy cake!’ Oh God, how many heavy cakes is it going to take? How much enjoyment? Have some but it is over in a snap.
‘I want some love.’ Okay have some love in the world. Love, love, love and then it gets down to business. It is not only love but it is also bills, it is also duty, it is also responsibility! There is also maintenance and taking care, and when you do not want to then it is not so romantic at all. Fine have all these things but when are we going to focus on Krsna and on going back to Godhead, and making that a priority? That is the question?
