Spiritual practice is humanity's natural calling, not a luxury—inquiry into God's greatness defines human life itself.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Nava-yauvana: "First we must reach to your standard, then we can become interested in spiritual life." It's an envious position. Prabhupāda: Hm? Nava-yauvana: It's an envious position. On the material platform they are thinking, "You have gotten so much, now you can afford to practice this. We cannot afford such practice." Prabhupāda: Then it is a luxury; it is not a necessity. Is it not? Nava-yauvana: Yes, that's what they are thinking.
After the material luxury, then you have this. Prabhupāda: But why the Indians, they are not like Americans? You find in India still millions of people will go to the Kumbha-melā with torn cloth. They are not like Americans, riches. So why they take?
Indian is well-known poverty-stricken. So why almost ninety-nine per cent people, they are after Kṛṣṇa consciousness naturally? Still they'll go, when there is Kumbha-melā; so many saintly persons are coming. They will come by lakhs.
Have you seen it? You have seen Kumbha-melā? You have seen? That is the proof.
Not only Kumbha-melā. In Vṛndāvana, just like in our temple, recently it was jam-packed. Why they are coming to Vṛndāvana? Mostly they are coming from villages.
Especially during this time at least twenty thousand, fifty thousand men are coming, daily. Still. We held Hare Kṛṣṇa festival in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras. As soon as it is advertised, you'll find fifteen thousand, twenty thousand men come.
And if you hold for weeks, for weeks they will come. You have seen? They are not like Americans, rich. They are all poverty-stricken.