(Click to enlarge photo of devotees at the Great Pyramid of Giza, 1978)
"They will accept. It is predicted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu,
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that in every village, every town, every county, every city, this saṅkīrtana movement will be there, and people will feel obliged to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: 'My Lord, You have given us so sublime thing.' This is the prediction. Simply we have to try our best."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Chicago, July 10, 1975)
"Yesterday we had a very successful meeting at Oxford at the Town Hall. About 350 boys, girls, old men, ladies and gentlemen participated, and we made them all dance and chant with us, every one. After the meeting, many boys and gentlemen came to congratulate me. Out of them, one was an Egyptian gentleman…
So it is a fact that our movement will appeal to the heart of everyone, and they will join us. If one is not very much sophisticated and overburdened by material contamination, then he must respond to our call."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 31, 1969)
"So I have no definite idea, but I give you this hint that in the Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, there is need of spreading this Krsna Consciousness Movement. I hope you will understand the philosophy fully and try to spread it in these countries as far as possible; and Krsna will give you all strength and resources to fulfill your mission."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 14, 1970)
"I am very happy to see you are trying to spread Krsna consciousness in Egypt. You should present Krsna consciousness not as a religion, but a science of God realization. Try to convince them that it is not just a kind of faith. It is a chance to understand God. In every religion there is a glimpse of the idea of God. This Movement is explaining what God is. The educated persons should be convinced about this fact. Every sane man should be interested to know God and then love Him."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 2, 1976)
Prabhupāda: How the Egyptian people are?
Devotee: They're really nationalistic type of persons.
Prabhupāda: That is everywhere.
Devotee: But I never noticed like this anywhere else. And they're really attached to family life, even more than in India.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā?
Devotee: Oh, yes.
Prabhupāda: They have got nice family?
Devotee: Oh, yes. They have nice family, and they have many children. And the man is working, and the woman stay home and prepare food, taking care...
Prabhupāda: That is Indian culture.
Devotee: Yes, it's exactly like in India. But their family attachment is so strong that it is very difficult..., it will be very difficult to have devotees out of them.
Prabhupāda: No, no, why you should dissuade them from family life? That is not our...
Devotee: No, I'm not doing that. I know.
Prabhupāda: Let them remain, family life, but understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. We never condemn family life. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa anywhere. That's all.
Devotee: Oh, yes. But that will be very difficult for them to become devotee. Instead, they went to the Western countries and become devotees there. But otherwise, in their own country will be very difficult for them.
Prabhupāda: Let us invite them, whole family. Let them come, take prasādam, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee: Yes. That I did.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Devotee: I was living with one whole family. Sometimes I cooked prasādam for them, and they like it very much. They like us as a person.
Prabhupāda: Simply follow this. Give them prasādam and let them chant. That is preaching. And if they're educated, let them read books. Then gradually, he'll automatically come. (break)
Devotee: ...one thing they always like, when we don't explain to them too much the meaning of the chanting, they like the music.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Well then that is all right.
Devotee: But when we start to explain the meaning, then they're a little bit suspicious, because they don't tolerate other type of religion.
Prabhupāda: No, no, why...? Let them chant and take prasādam. This preaching, that's all. Later on, when they're little advanced, then talk of philosophy. Otherwise there is no need of philosophy. If they are, some of them, educated, they can read the books voluntarily. But general process is anywhere, any part of the world, you simply give them chance of chanting and take prasādam. That will be peaceful. (break)
Devotee: ...Because I have an Arabic boy who is translating. So I have one Śrī Īśopaniṣad completely translated into Arabics which can be printed.
Prabhupāda: So print.
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Bhuvanesvara, January 30, 1977)
Prabhupāda: We are selling these books, daily five to six lakhs. Daily. What is the message? "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." That's all. (pause) In one week, how many books we have sold?
Devotee: In one week we've sold 700,000 books. Seven lakhs.
Prabhupāda: Seven lakhs' books in one week.
Guest: In one week.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Guest: Wonderful thing.
Prabhupāda: Religious books selling, seven lakhs of books in a week, there is no history.
Guest: There is no history. There is no another example.
Prabhupāda: And where we are selling? Where Christians are there. They are not Hindus, that they'll read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata and Cai... They're all Christian, Jews, Muslims. In Muslim country we are also selling. Yes.
Guest: Iran, Pakistan.
Prabhupāda: Iran, Pakistan, Egypt.
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, Bombay, January 7, 1977)
"Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as patita pavana, the deliverer of the fallen souls. So as you have taken the vow of service you can deliver the most fallen souls by this Krishna consciousness movement."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 19, 1972)
"The fact that the Moslems are saying Hare Krsna to you on the street, that is your success. We do not care for Moslem, Christian, this or that. We see everyone as part and parcel of Krsna, and as such they should re-establish their loving relationship with Krsna."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, September 7, 1975)
"So Kṛṣṇa did not come to establish some sectarian religious system. That is not God's system. God is for everyone. God is not for the Hindus, for the Muslims, for the Christians, or anyone. God is for everyone."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976)
"God is one. God is neither Hindu, nor Muslim, nor Christian. God is God. So let us love God. That's all. That is perfection of life."
(Srila Prabhupada Conversation, London, July 25, 1973)
.
