“I do not have to pay?”

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2015, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Srimad Bhagavatam 9.10.23)

Misers hold on to whatever wealth they have and do not want to share, and the result is they are being deprived. So here we are in Europe, we brought wealth from all over the world. We got it by hook or Captain Cook, somehow or other, we brought it in. Here it is and now we are sitting on it. But gradually, it is running out. London is still going strong but if you go a bit North, people are poor! It is like, England is sinking in poverty. I am sorry to bring it up so early in the morning but it is happening. Why is it so? Because of this miserliness, because of just bringing it all in for us, instead of giving it out. The more we give out, the more everything will happen. That is our movement. Our movement is based on the principle of namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah (CC Madhya 19.53).

It is a movement of extraordinary generosity. We see that when Srila Prabhupada was present, it was like that. Even when I joined, at that time, the Sunday feast was still fifteen incredible preparations. I mean absolutely incredible. Every single one of them was like, “Whew!” You know, I mean the rice was loaded up with cashews and paneer balls and what not. Oh! What to speak of the other preparations. Everything was ecstasy. There was abundance and nobody paid. It was all for free. The guests would just come and would eat to the max. Then they would get packages to take home. That is how it was. No wonder people were joining like anything! (laughter) It was just inconceivable – such generosity!

That purchases people. This movement will only spread through generosity. It is generosity that makes people feel indebted, “It is amazing, they give you all these things! What kind of people are these? I cannot believe it.” That is what it will do it. That is what will actually bring people. Incredible generosity!

Say, “Yeah, but then how will we live?”

Do not worry, because generosity breeds generosity. That is the principle of this movement. When we are just generous then people will say, “Wow, that is amazing. You are giving all these things away. I want to help.” Then they start to give money and just give… This whole spirit of giving, that is the spirit of this Hare Krsna movement. Then people will join and everyone is welcome.

In this way, this movement is a wonderful movement based on this maha-vadanyaya. This principle of just being incredibly generous. Vaisnava generosity is something amazing. It is about giving, not only what you have, more than that, it is about giving yourself.

Please watch the (last part of) below recent video by Niranjana Swami about similar experience mentioned in the article: