Shoot for the rhinoceros

Satsvarupa Dasa: But it's true that Prabhupada wanted his followers to do substantial work. I remember hearing the words solid work and substantial work from Syamasundara Dasa, Prabhupada's secretary during the early 1970s. Syamasundara would write letters to the GBC and say, "Prabhupada is in India and he's really pushing hard. You devotees in America should do something." Prabhupada said it's not enough to just sit around and chant Hare Krishna. He wants to see substantial work. That phrase was drummed up in the temples, and we began to examine ourselves, and each other, as to whether we were doing substantial work. Then came the phrase, 'Shoot for the rhinoceros'. That meant you should try to do something amazing and very difficult, and even if you fail, it will still be considered wonderful, that you tried to shoot the most difficult animal. Prabhupada also said, "You are Americans, so you should do something wonderful, or else what's the use of being an American?" He meant that Americans were ambitious, successful people, and therefore when they became devotees, they should use some of that ingenuity and good karma to do something great for spreading Krishna consciousness.