Yogesvara: In the United States, there are something called minority groups. Minority group means like the Irish or the Negroes, the Jews…

Prabhupada: They’re also fools. Minority fools. They’re minority fools.

Yogesvara: Minority fools?

Prabhupada: Yes. Because he’s thinking, “I am Irishman.”

Yogesvara: Yes, but their point is that “Even if we are spirit soul, we are still being exploited because we are a small number. So we must band together to protect ourselves.”

Prabhupada: You are exploited always. Why do you blame this man or that man? You are being exploited by maya. Where is your position of freedom?

Yogesvara: They say, “Well, maya we cannot fight, but we can fight the government.”

Prabhupada: Why should you fight? If you cannot… Suppose you cannot… Can you fight with death? Maya, maya has imposed upon you death. So fight with maya, that there will be no death. That you cannot do. So you are always, what is called, defeated. That is your position. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

So best thing is surrender to Krsna for protection. That is wanted. We don’t think “minority.” Suppose… Hare Krsna people, how many there are in the Paris city? How many?

Yogesvara: Seventy, eighty.

Prabhupada: So we are not sorry that minority. Where is the…? Insignificant. Don’t talk of minority. But we are not sorry. Minority, majority, all these are foolishness. The whole platform is mistaken. [pause] Rupa Gosvami was a minister. He was in the majority. But voluntarily he accepted minority. He went to Vrndavana and living alone, underneath a tree. He was enjoying so much honor. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim [Sri Sri Sad Gosvamy Astaka 4].

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis, namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopis‘ love for Krsna and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.]

His associates were big, big zamindars, big businessmen, politicians. Because he’s minister. But he preferred to resign that post and become a minority, to live alone in Vrndavana underneath a tree. Why he preferred this? And remaining there alone, he has given you the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. So we have to see how much service we are going to give Krsna. This “minority,” “majority,” these are all material conception of life. If you can give major service to Krsna, that is your success of life. I started this movement alone, minority. Is it not?

Yogesvara: Yes, one.

Prabhupada: One only; less than minority. [laughter] The “minority,” “majority,” these are material conception. And spiritual is how much you are giving service to Krsna. That is considered. That is to be taken into consideration. [pause] Krsna says Himself, manusyanam sahasresu kascid
yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]:

[Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.]

“Out of millions and millions of people, one may understand Me.” So if I have turned so many people to understand Krsna, so that is service. At least, they are trying to understand Krsna.

Morning Walk — June 11, 1974, Paris