Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj describes the selfless spirit of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s followers.
Srila Sridhar Maharaj: In his last words Prabhupad also said, “Love, rupture, anything may come, but it must be for Krishna. It does not matter whether love, rupture, or anything else comes, it only matters that whatever comes is for Krishna.”
Student: So he knew, perhaps he knew.
Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Yes. When we went to the court, the lawyers sometimes said to us, “Many of you religious persons are coming to the court.” I told one of the pleaders, “We are not an order of sadhus who runs to the mountains in fear of maya, enters a particular cave, and goes on meditating. Our Guru Maharaj created the type of sadhu who will fight with maya, who will attack wherever there is a strong centre of maya, and destroy it. That is the totalitarian war we have begun with the illusory energy that has captivated so many souls. On principle, we are not afraid of any court of law or any other place. So many political factions fight with each other, but you do not see anything wrong with that. We are very realistic in our thought. We are not sadhus who are concerned only with theory. So many of our brothers are suffering from misunderstanding. We must help them, and take upon our heads whatever trouble will come to us as a result. We must march forward. We do not care for quarrel, or for peace, or for anything else. We must accept whatever is necessary to take on our head for the service of Krishna, for the service of Guru, to spread the Truth, the real truth. We must do whatever is necessary. Whatever comes as a result may come.”
According to our karma the environment is coming to us, but we must not be cowards and fly away from the battle. If I am sincere, nothing in the world can deceive me.
na hi kalyana-krit kashchid durgatim tata gachchhati
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 6.40)
uddhared atmanatmanam
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 6.5)
Self-help. If I really want to help myself, no one can deceive me. Only I can deceive myself; no one else can. Sometimes I may be wrong, but the influence of that error will be checked if I am sincere.
sarala ha-ite gorara shiksa bujhiya la-ibe
Simplicity is never defeated. Whatever may come, we must go on with all sincerity.