This movement can not be maintained by good organisation. It’s not enough to just be members of this movement. This movement will not be a success by increasing the membership; this movement will only be a success by each individual becoming very serious and really embracing pure standards.
Everyone has to really become aware of that responsibility and rise above the mood of defeatism - of already being defeated before you start. This defeatism is very deeply ingrained in us, that we are already defeated before we start:“Oh I can’t do this! This is too difficult, it’s impossible!” No! It means you have not understood, it means we have not understood the potency of this movement.
One Devotee was complaining about Rahu in his chart and Prabhupada said: “Krishna can kick out a million Rahus. In one kick!” So it doesn’t matter how bad our Karma is. One of the misconceptions is: “My Karma is so bad, and therefore I just can’t do it!” And we tell ourselves: “I’m so weak, I just can’t do it.” But no! Spiritual strength has nothing to do with Karma. Good Karma may be helpful but spiritual strength comes simply from keeping the iron in the fire of devotional service.
So if we are just applying ourselves to devotional service, then we will have the strength to take it more serious. Then, when we take it more serious, that will give us the strength to still take it more serious.
Then that will give us the strength, to still take it more serious and each time we have to take a next step to becoming more serious. All the vows are there externally to help us, but the real thing is: We have to become, again and again, each time more serious! Narrow it down, and become more serious about our commitment to really being a follower of Srila Prabhupada and the previous Acaryas. Then our movement cannot be defeated by anything. That will be the strength of our movement.
(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban, South Africa, February 2011)
