Indians abroad must perfect themselves in Krishna consciousness and share this treasure with all neighbors and friends.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Lecture at Indians Home — June 30, 1972, San Diego 720630LE-SAN DIEGO [54:37 Minutes] Lecture_720630LE-SAN DIEGO [kīrtana] Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda. [devotees offer obeisances] Prabhupāda: So I will attempt to speak something? [lady makes Hindi comment] So the Indians who are outside India, they have got a special duty. So far our economic condition is concerned, as I explained yesterday, that one is destined to certain material comforts and discomforts, according to his body.
Already he has got. So either you stay in India or stay in America, the bodily comforts, or sense gratification, that will be achieved either in India, America. What you are destined to achieve, you will have it, because as soon as your body is manufactured, your standard of comfort and discomfort is also manufactured. In Bengal there is a proverb that jadi jau bange kapala jabe sange[?]: "Wherever you go, your fortune will go with you." Fortune and misfortune, that will also go with you. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said one thing, that "Any Indian, any man who has taken birth on the soil of Bhārata-varṣa, India, he has got a special duty.
That duty is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness." bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41] To do good to others, para-upakāra. So those Indians who are here, it is all right you are earning for some economic development, but at the same time, you try to make your life perfect by Kṛṣṇa consciousness and spread it to the foreigners as far as possible. That's your duty. Not that..., that you are getting decent salary than India, and enjoy life and forget your culture.
That is suicidal. You have got a culture. So this culture is Vedic culture, and Vedic culture means Kṛṣṇa conscious. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. Vedic culture means to understand Kṛṣṇa.
One who has not understood Kṛṣṇa, he has no Vedic culture. But every Indian is supposed to have Vedic culture. And to have Vedic culture means to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore all Indians, they should cultivate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness personally, make their life successful, and distribute it to the..., our neighbors.
Of course, I do not think... If you invite your neighbors, they do not come, you said? Guest (1): Obviously, they have got some other work, this, that. Prabhupāda: Hmm. But anyway, because you are living in this country, you must have some friends. Whenever you talk with your friends, you talk about Kṛṣṇa.
Don't waste your time in other ways. That will be beneficial for you and for your friends. And before talking about Kṛṣṇa, you should know about Kṛṣṇa. And you can know about Kṛṣṇa very easily by understanding Bhagavad-gītā.