Prabhupada 0611 - If you Lose the Spirit of Service, this Temple will become a Big Go-down



Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976

So at least we Indians, we are trained up like that. Not only trained up, we are born devotees. Anyone who has taken birth in India, that is special facility. In their previous birth, they had performed many austerities, much austerities. Even the demigods, they desire also to take birth in India to get this opportunity. So India... Don't think... India means this planet, Bhāratavarṣa. There is good opportunity. So we should not think. If we think that "Here is a stone statue," then it will not prolong many days. It will not... Galagraha. No more vigraha, but galagraha. Suppose I have established this temple. Now, under my direction, my disciples are worshiping vigraha. Vigraha means the form of the Lord, rūpa. But if there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden, that "Our rascal Guru Mahārāja established this temple, and we have to worship, early rise in the morning, all botheration." This will be... That is called galagraha, a burden, "He has left with us a burden." This is the risk. Then this such a big temple will be mismanaged, and you'll find that "This is breaking" and "This is unclean," and there is no attention. This will be our... That is called galagraha: "The rascal has given us a burden."

So it is very difficult. If we lost..., if we have lost that feeling that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is a chance to serve Him..." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ... Not that. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau. As soon as... Therefore we are very much vigilant, "Why you did not this? Why you do not this? Why...?" As soon as the feeling of devotional service will be lost, this temple will be a burden. This is the way. It will be such a big temple; to manage, it will be a great burden. So they are feeling burden. Therefore they don't mind if somewhere is broken sometimes. "All right, let us, whatever money we have got, let us eat first of all." This is the position. Vigraha and galagraha. You should understand. If we forget that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present. We have to receive Him very nicely. We have to give Him nice food, nice dress, nice..." Then it is service. And as soon as the feeling comes that "Here is a stone idol"—they say sometimes "idol worship"—"and we have been instructed to dress Him, to give Him..., all botheration." Then finished. Finished. That has come everywhere. I have seen in Nasik in many, many big temples there is no pūjārī, and the dogs are passing stool. Not only they're breaking. In Western countries also the churches are being closed—big, big churches. In London I have seen, very big, big churches, but they're closed. When there is meeting on Sunday, the caretaker, two, three men and some old lady, they come. Nobody comes. And we are purchasing. We have purchased several churches. Because it is now useless. It is useless. In our Los Angeles we have purchased, and several others. In Toronto, that recently we have purchased. Big, big churches. But they would not sell us. One church, the priest said that "I shall set fire in this church, still I shall not give to Bhaktivedanta Swami." (laughter) This Toronto church was like that also. And in Melbourne, the condition was, sale condition was, that you have to dismantle this church building. We said, "Why?" He said, "Utilize as temple now, then we shall not give you." They refused. You know that? So they do not like that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will purchase our churches and install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity." They do not like that. But it is not going on.

So not only the churches in the Western countries; here also. As soon as you will lose the spirit of service, this temple will become a big go-down, that's all. No more temple. So we have to maintain that service spirit. Therefore we are so much particular—"Why fresh flower is not there?" If you think, "Here is a stone statue. What is the meaning of fresh flower or old flower? We have to give some flower. That's all." But no feeling, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. We must give fresh flower." Just like I'm a living man, if you give me a fresh flower, and if you bring some garbage and if you give me, shall I be pleased? Do you think? So this feeling is losing even in the beginning, that "We shall satisfy this statue with some rubbish, garbage flower. He's not going to protest." Yes, He'll not protest. But your life will be finished. The protest will come like that. As soon as you lost the feeling, bhāva, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8)... Who can worship Kṛṣṇa? When there is bhāva, sthāyi-bhāva. This has been discussed in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, what is bhāva. But if you have no bhāva, then you are on the material (indistinct), kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Simply show. A show cannot go on many days. Show will be finished very soon.