Understanding we are not these bodies but eternal souls creates the unity that economics and science cannot achieve.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Arrival Lecture — May 6, 1972, Honolulu 720506AR-HONOLULU [45:16 Minutes] Arrival_720506AR-HONOLULU Prabhupāda: [prema-dvani] Thank you very much. Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [Obeisances] Prabhupāda: So, boys and girls who are kindly present here to cooperate with this movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with us. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement was started about five hundred years ago by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He appeared in India, Bengal. There is a district called Nadia, or Navadvīpa.
In the latter part of the fifteenth century He appeared, and when He was only twenty-four years old, a young man, He had very nice, beautiful young wife, very affectionate mother at home, but He took sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means, perhaps you know, renounced order of life. According to Vedic system, one’s life is divided into four parts. That is human program. Suppose one lives for a hundred years.
It is calculated that a man can live up to a hundred years, although the duration of life is now reducing. So taking into consideration that a man lives for a hundred years, so life is divided into four parts, namely brahmacārī, student life; then gṛhastha, householder; then vānaprastha, retired life; then sannyāsa, renounced life. This is Vedic system. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, instead of waiting for the last stage of His life, He took sannyāsa at an early age, only twenty-four years old, when He should have began the householder's life. But He did not do so.
For the benefit of the whole human society He renounced His family life and took sannyāsa and extensively traveled all over the tract of land called now India. But He predicted that this missionary activities will be spread, in future, in as many towns and cities are there on the surface of the globe. And He entrusted Indians, those who are born in India, He entrusted them that "Please convey this message throughout the whole world." The exact language, Bengali language: bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41] This means that anyone who has taken birth in India as a human being will kindly make his life successful, and after making his life successful he would distribute this knowledge throughout the whole world for the welfare of the human society. This was His order and prediction. pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma [Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya 4.126] He also predicted that "I shall be well known all over the world in as many villages and towns are there." So this mission is pursuant..., in pursuance of Lord Caitanya’s mission. We are trying to spread His message throughout the whole world, and by the grace of His Lordship we are getting good response.
We have got by this time about one hundred branches all over the world: Europe, America, Australia and Far East, Middle East, India. Everywhere we have got branches, and I am very much obliged to you, to your country, USA. You are mostly cooperating with this movement. All my students, boys and girls, they are mostly American young boys and girls.
There are others also, but you are predominant; therefore I must thank you very much. So you are very prominent country all over the world, America. You have got your prestige as the richest nation. Not only that: you are advanced in economic development, scientific development. There is unity with you on account of your benevolent activities, that you are forward in supplying foodstuff to the undeveloped countries.
You supply money also for development. You have got very philanthropic works, and your country is respected all over the world. But one thing you should know, that at the present moment we are united chronologically, historically, by economic development, by scientific advancement, but still we are fighting one another. In spite of our willingness to cooperate, there is fighting. Just in today’s paper I was reading that there is some indication that Mr.