why shall I not use the airplane?
For his last class this morning (tomorrow we go to Bombay), the verse was the last one in the chapter, "Prahlada Pacifies the Lord with Prayers."
The narrator of the story, Narada Muni, said: "Prahlada Maharaja was the best person in the family of demons. Demons always aspire for material happiness, yet even though Prahlada was somewhat allured when the Supreme Personality of Godhead offered him benedictions for material happiness, because of his unalloyed Krishna consciousness he did not want to take any material benefit for sense enjoyment."
Prabhupada gave an excellent discourse, thoroughly explaining the mood of selfless service in the devotee and the reciprocal feelings of the Lord. He told us how the Lord once approached one of His devotees, Isana, desiring to give him a benediction. Isana's roof was full of holes, allowing the rain in, and Lord Caitanya offered to repair it.
Isana rejected the offer, though. He said the birds were simply living in the trees with no roof at all. So why should he bother the Lord simply for this?
Similarly, there was also an exchange between Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, with which Prabhupada further beautifully illustrated the real devotional sentiment. "There is another narration of Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami. They were living in this forest of Vrindavana. Sanatana Gosvami was elder brother, and Rupa Gosvami was younger brother. So they were living underneath a tree. So they had no means. Rupa Gosvami thought that 'If I could get some articles, I could prepare something and invite my guru, Sanatana Gosvami.'
"So just after a few minutes one very nice young girl came with so much presentation of rice, dahl, ghee, and so many other things. So she came and offered to the Gosvami. 'Baba, please take this presentation. We have got some ceremony at our home, so my mother has sent. You take it.'
So he was very glad: 'Oh, I was thinking if I could get some nice things, I could prepare and invite Sanatana Gosvami.' So he was very glad to receive those articles and invited Sanatana Gosvami and prepared so many nice foodstuffs and offered them to the Deity, and Sanatana Gosvami was given the prasadam. Sanatana Gosvami was very pleased, and he inquired, 'Rupa Gosvami, where you got these nice things? You are living in this... How you could receive all these things?'
"'Yes, my dear brother, I was just thinking in the morning. In the meantime a very nice young girl came and offered so many things, so I could?'
"'What is that? Who is that young girl in this forest? How was she looking?'
"'Oh, she was very, very beautiful.'
"'Oh, Radharani. Oh.' So he was very sorry. 'You have taken service from Radharani? Oh, you have done very wrong. We are trying to serve Radharani, and you have taken service from Radharani?' He rebuked him.
"This is pure service. They are avoiding to take service from Krishna or Radharani. And Krishna and Radharani was finding out the opportunity how to serve the devotee. This is the competition between Krishna and His devotee."
Then a bit later in the lecture he told an amusing anecdote to express the principle of being prepared to do and use anything in Krishna's service. "A sannyasi is supposed to walk. But if somebody criticizes, 'sir, why you are flying on airplane?' no, that is our not principle. The Jain sannyasis, they never use cars. Now they have begun. Because I am traveling all over the world, now the Jains, they are also." Everyone laughed at that comment.
"But our philosophy is different. We are preaching Krishna consciousness. Suppose I have to preach Krishna consciousness in Europe or America. So because a sannyasi has to walk, therefore I shall walk throughout the whole life to go to America. This is foolishness. If I can go to America within fifteen hours for preaching facility, why shall I not use the airplane? It is called niyamagraha, to follow the regulative principles without any profit.
"No. If we get the opportunity, preaching facilities for going on car, on airplane, using typewriter, dictaphone, microphone, we must use it. Because it is Krishna's property, it must be used for Krishna. This is our philosophy."
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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