Preaching among the miners in Sheffield

I have heard one story from a gentleman, how newspaper is important in Western country. We have seen also big, big bunch of newspaper thrown in every door. They subscribe. So one priest was preaching among the miners in Sheffield, where there are many coal mines, in England. So he was speaking that “You become devotee, followers of Jesus Christ,” and in this way he’s preaching Bible. So one of the miners, he never heard of Bible nor Jesus Christ. So he inquired, “What is his number?” That means he thought Christ may be one of the miners, and they have got specific number. So he said, “No, you are mistaking. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is not one of you, like worker, no. He’s Lord. So if you don’t appreciate him, don’t worship him, then you will go to hell.” Then another man asked, “What is hell?” And he described that “Hell is very dark. It is very moist,” and so on. “There is no air there, no light, and…” So they are living always in the mine. There was no response, because they are habituated with this hellish life.  So the description of hell did not appeal. Then the priest was intelligent, said, “You know, there is no newspaper.” Then they said, “Oh, horrible!” “It is horrible.”
So that newspaper is so important in the Western countries. Even the miners and the most fallen people, they also read newspaper. And these boys and girls who you are seeing, not only here, there also, they don’t care any more for any newspaper, any magazine, except Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is a fact. This is Krsna consciousness. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane.

So this is… If we simply do these things, that vacamsi vaikuntha- gunanuvarnane, this Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, description of Vaikuntha, the transcendental life where there is no anxiety… That is Vaikuntha. So Vaikuntha… God’s name is also Vaikuntha. In southern India they say, Venkatesvara. That is apabhramsa of Vaikunthesvara. They say Venkatesvara. But Vaikunthesvara. Vaikuntha, the spiritual world, and the master of the Vaikuntha, He is called Venkatesvara or Vaikunthesvara. So in this way we can train up ourself. Keep your mind always thinking of Krsna, as Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. Then you become gradually the first-class yogi. You don’t require to make any exercise. The everything will be done automatically. Krsna will give you intelligence. As you concentrate your mind on Krsna’s lotus feet, immediately you become qualified to talk with Krsna immediately. That is said by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, buddhi-yogam dadami tam [Bg. 10.10]. So Krsna is there within your heart, and as soon as you engage yourself in the service of Krsna, beginning with sa vai manah krsna- padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane concentrating your mind, that is the yoga system.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.31
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, January 8, 1975