Turning crows into swans

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 June 2019, New York, United States of America, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.20)

Just like Srila Prahbupada comments on the verse.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

In every town and village my name will be heard and sung. It will be chanted. Prabhupada said, “So that means that there will be devotees everywhere.” In other words, the holy name will find the devotees and the devotees will automatically start to take up devotional service. They are like dry grass until they are touched by this transcendental mercy. Oh yes, it is like an immediate recognition. The people will start to realise, “Yes, finally I am alive. All of this time I was just sort of walking through this world estranged and not finding my roots. But now suddenly phew, I’ve got it!” There is a recognition. The devotee, he immediately recognises it.

Of course, in the ultimate sense, all living beings are devotees. In the ultimate sense, nobody is a demon. And of course this movement is founded on that principle as Prabhupada said, “We are turning crows into swans.” This is because many of us grew up like little demons, who lived with demon families and were eating demoniac things, thinking demoniac thoughts and looking at demoniac things and so on. But with the holy name entering our lives, a transformation has taken place!