Enthusiasm, sincerity and austerity are fundamental to pleasing our Guru. This is secret to success.
Prabhupada responded to enthusiasm. He did not respond to material qualifications like scholarship or even expertise in a particular field. Enthusiasm was the one factor that eclipsed everything else. If one's enthusiasm was alive and genuine, then there was no limit to the opportunities Prabhupada offered. And that's what made it possible for me to associate with Prabhupada and to serve him as I did. I was not educated or professionally experienced in any way. I wasn't an American. I was born in Germany. And I was also married. But Prabhupada gave me many opportunities and responsibilities that, under material circumstances, would have gone to other persons. This was true not only in my case, but also in the case of Guru Kripa, Madhudvisa, and many others. Prabhupada looked to anyone who had enthusiasm and determination. And Prabhupada trained, focused, and purified that raw enthusiasm. What we did for Prabhupada we did under his guidance. In one letter to me
Prabhupada wrote:?
"Why are my books not being printed in Germany?"
I thought, "I can hardly speak German. I can't translate them." Then I understood, "Prabhupada wants his books translated into German," and I had to figure out how to do that. I wrote him, "What do I do?"
He said, "Chant Hare Krishna and Krishna will give you intelligence."
That was almost always the answer I got. Prabhupada wasn't the type of manager or leader who would give details. He inspired you to use your creative intelligence. in fact,
Prabhupada said there's a kind of individual genius in every living entity. When I looked up the word? genius' in the dictionary, the definition was, "indwelling deity." Genius is not something you or I or anyone possesses. Genius means Krishna. So if, by the inspiration of the spiritual master, we make ourselves receptive to the inflow of Krishna, then Krishna genius reveals how something should be done.