Devotee:. We have to appraise that if Your Divine Grace leaves us, what will be the result both to ISKCON society, to each of you disciples individually, and to the entire planet.

Srila Prabhupāda: That I am thinking, that such a big society, the aims and object may be dismantled. I am thinking from that vision. Srila Prabhupada room conversation – Vrindavana, Uttara Pradesh, India – October 26, 1977

 

 

Srila Prabhupāda: (aside:) That child…? So that separation… Crows will not like to live with the ducks and white swans. And white swans will not like to live with the crows. That is natural division. “Birds of the same feather flock together.

Jagadīśa: And honest men don’t like to associate with thieves and criminals.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes, that is natural. We are not interested even with these daily newspapers. We are interested Bhagavad-gītā. We don’t keep any news. We know the dogs are barking. That’s all. But that does not mean we have to mix with the dogs.

Jagadīśa: If you know that someone is committing criminal activities, then if you associate with them, you’ll also become implicated.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Sangāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Prayaga [Allahabad], Uttara Pradesh, India – January 11, 1977

 

 

“…He can see. His eyes are not like this, that beyond this wall I cannot see anything. He can see everyone, what you are doing nonsense. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. As witness, He is seeing. He is within your heart. How you will hide it? Anumantā upadrastṭā…” Srila Prabhupada: Srimad-Bhagavatam lectures S.B. 2.9.14 – Melbourne, Australia – April 13, 1972

 

 

 

 

“… The parampara system means… Just like we claim parampara system from Krsna. So whatever Krsna says or He said 5,000 years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called parampara system. Not that “The world has changed. Scientific advancement is very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way.” This is all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niscayam atmanah.     If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jnaninas tattva-darsinah. Just like here it is tattva-niscayam atmanah. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the parampara system. Krsna said this, and then Brahma said the same thing, then Narada said the same thing, Vyasadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvacarya, Madhavendra Puri, Isvara Puri, Lord Caitanya, Sad- osvami, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Srinivasa Acarya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. In this way. Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, haktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Then we are speaking. The same thing. Not that “Because we are modernized… Your modern science has changed.” Nothing has changed. It is all foolishness…” Srila Prabhupada lectures. Los Angeles, California, USA- June 24, 1976

 

“I am not much fond of the idea of changing things to accommodate the public — better to change the public to accommodate us.” Srila Prabhupada letter – Bombay, Maharasthra, India – December 28, 1971

 

“… This is the way to advance in spiritual science. One must accept the words of an ācārya, a bona fide spiritual master, to clear the path for spiritual advancement. This is the secret of success. However, one’s guide must be a spiritual master who is actually an unalloyed devotee strictly following the instructions of the previous ācārya without deviation. Whatever the spiritual master says must be accepted by the disciple. Only then is success certain. This is the Vedic system…” Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Original unrevised edition – Madhya-Lila 10.17

 

 

 

“…Actually, the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is not understandable to those who are sensuous-even if one is not sensuous but is strictly following the disciplines enjoined in the Vedic scripture, if he is not a devotee, he also cannot understand Krsna. Even when one poses himself as a devotee of Krsna, but is not engaged in Krsna conscious activities, he also cannot understand Krsna. There are many persons who envy Krsna because He has explained in Bhagavad-gītā that He is the Supreme and that nothing is above Him or equal to Him. There are many persons who are envious of Krsna. Such persons should not be told of Bhagavad-gītā, for they cannot understand. There is no possibility of faithless persons’ understanding Bhagavad-gītā and Krsna. Without understanding Krsna from the authority of a pure devotee, one should not try to comment upon Bhagavad-gitā…” Bhagavad-gita As It Is (1972) Conclusion – Original unrevised edition – The Perfection of Renunciation Bg 18.67

 

Note: But the question may be raised as to why is it that we have seen so many devotees, even senior devotees with many years of direct physical association with the acarya, Srila Prabhupada, were [and are] seemingly incapable of clearly understanding Krishna Consciousness philosophy, with so many examples of distortion, blatant philosophical deviations, concoctions, misrepresentations etc. What is the reason for this? The acarya, Srila Prabhupada, explains:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“…We should lay out the subject matter as nicely as possible to our intelligence and capacity, and without anyambition that it must attract customers. They may attract or not attract, it doesn’t matter. …” Srila Prabhupada letter, February 22, 1969

 

 

 

“…. I am just trying to organize a worldwide movement not for any personal ambition but to execute superior orders, and by the grace of Krsna we are getting good encouragement. So I request my students to cooperate fully…” Srila Prabhupada letters to: Jayapataka — Los Angeles, California July 26, 1970

 

“…, so I am fervently appealing to you all not to create fracture in the solid body of the Society. Please work conjointly, without any personal ambition. That will help the cause…”

 

 

“…Our life is very short. The Krsna consciousness movement is not meant for fulfilling one’s personal ambition, but it is a serious movement for the whole world…”

 

“…Regarding B…….., he is actually surrendered soul, but Maya is so strong that on account of association he has even fallen down. So these two things are always side by side—Maya and Krsna—Krsna is service and Maya is sense gratification, so every moment we are prone to be subjugated by either of them. Our duty is therefore to be very, very careful. The poison is personal ambition. So everyone has the chance, therefore one should not be complacent. Doubts may come about, but one should be firmly fixed up that there cannot be any doubt on the Spiritual Master or Krsna….” Srila Prabhupada letter, November 1, 1970

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intelligence in the mode of passion is always working perversely. It accepts religions which are not actually religions and rejects actual religion. All views and activities are misguided. Men of passionate intelligence understand a great soul to be a common man and accept a common man as a great soul. They think truth to be untruth and accept untruth as truth. In all activities they simply take the wrong path; therefore, their intelligence is in the mode of passion. Bhagavad-gita As It Is (1972) Original unrevised edition,18.31

 

 

Similarly, instead of offering respect to self-realized persons, foolish men who cannot approach the highest standard of self-realization are always envious, although there is no reason…” Srimad-Bhagavatam “The Creation of the Fourth Order” Talks Between Lord Siva and Sati SB 4.3.21

 

 

 

“The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers. A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that. But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized, and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples. His is not a very high grade of devotional service. If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened. One should, therefore, strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession.” Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 14

 

 

 

“…As for your next question, can only a few pure devotees deliver others, anyone, if he is a pure devotee he can deliver others, he can become spiritual master. But unless he on that platform he should not attempt it. Then both of them will go to hell, like blind men leading the blind…”

 

 

“…As alleged by you I have received complaints against B ….M….. and his wife, so seriously so much so that the girl has declared that Bali Mardan is an incarnation of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on my name. In India some of the important members they have collected huge amounts in the name of the Society and spent it luxuriously. I wanted you all my experienced disciples should manage the whole institution very cleverly without anypersonal ambition like ordinary materialistic men. The Gaudiya Math institution has become smashed, at least stopped its program of preaching work on account of personal ambitions…” Srila Prabhupada letter Karandhara – October 8, 1974.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

– most Airports closed to Book Distribution – Is there no desire left in ISKCON to reopen it?

Some Conclusions—The above statements (compiled by Yasoda nandan das) are only a few of the many warnings Srila Prabhupada gave to us his disciples.Personal ambition the poison of  pure bhakti, applies to all of us, not just the so called leaders. Over time I have also noticed a gradual decline in enthusiasm and interest in devotees to take part in local programs and this is mainly due to not following the regulative principles because when one DOES follow, he or she does not lose enthusiasm for devotional service. So the choice as always, is individual , if we want to stay as devotees, if we want to advance as devotees we must have regular association with like minded devotees.  To give up the association of devotees means to break the regulative principles.

Hare Krsna

damaghosa das