May 2 1972 letter
….I have tried it: any page you open, that is wonderful reading matter. My ambition is to spread these books far and wide all over the world so that everyone shall read at least one of our books and that will change his life. If only 1% become devotees, that will change the world. I think that eventually we can print TLC in paperback also.
Srila Prabhupada writes…..If only 1% of the world population becomes devotee-that alone will change this hellish world.
Note–Therefore when one soul decides to become a devotee of God, it is very very rare and when we, as already decided devotees come across another devotee, we should never do anything that will drive them away from Krsna or other devotees. Otherwise Srila Prabhupada tells us we are a total nonsense and we are also offensive to that devotee.
Now please consider what the bona fide Acarya has to say on this topic.
July 9 1971 letter
And it is very encouraging to hear that so many new devotees are coming. That is an indication of your sincerity. The more sincere you are in pushing this movement forward, so Krishna will reciprocate and send you many new devotees. Thank you very much. So give them protection and instruct them so that they may not go away. We recruit devotees with great difficulty. So they must be well-treated. New men may not always behave so nicely but we must be tolerant. To train a new man is like training a wild animal to be a pet. Just like the tiger is trained in the circus and later on they are dancing to the tune of the master. So the point being stressed is training. A preacher should always be tolerant.
Sept 15 1972
The boy Sharma from Bombay may come there to join you if you want him. By your own work you can recruit men locally, that is the best process. So immediately resume the preaching work amongst the Africans and show yourselves as always meek and humble and refrain from a tough attitude and in this way gain their confidence. Gradually you will recruit men locally and they will be able to share the responsibilities. Our process is slow but sure, not that we must do everything immediately and then later on regret it. Many of our big centers started with only a handful of men and because they were determined to expand by recruiting the local men, that has been their success.
Dec 13 1972
Therefore I am calling upon you the big leaders to push this idea forward, namely, to attract some educated men to join us. The idea is that they will only agree to join us if we ourselves conduct ourselves intelligently by the preaching approach. The secret will be to engage them as they like to be engaged, that is, supposing I have got some education, I am business student, or I have got some skill or talent, I am typist or musician or something like that, so I will like to utilize these things for Krishna only if I am encouraged in a certain way, very tactfully, and I must not be discouraged by too much forcing me at first to accept everything of shaving the head, rising very early, going for street sankirtana, like that. No, let me come gradually, let me study also Krishna Consciousness and see how it is practical and sublime. Gradually I may get some taste for these other things and agree to do them voluntarily and intelligently. We are not dogma or like army-camp, no. We are servants of Krishna, that means because we understand that Krishna is our Protector under all circumstances, we have no more any anxiety, so we become very liberal and tolerant of all kinds of seeing others’ sinful activities, and we see them innocent victims of maya, and we try to help them understand what is the real position of life.
Dec 31 1972
So a devotee is always very understanding if there is some discrepancy behavior on the part of nondevotees, and even some devotees misbehave, he is always very tolerant and understanding. The point is that no one is actually qualified in this material world to approach Krsna, but if he makes the attempt through our inducing him gradually to give his energy to Krsna, by that attempt Krsna will extend his mercy and deliver the fallen soul despite his so many disqualifications. And such person or aspiring devotee, he is to be considered the most exalted of men because he has given his life to Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate/vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah, after many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders to Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. [Bg. 7.19]
Jan 5 1973
So if anyone students are serious to learn Krsna Consciousness from you, give them all help and facility, let them accept gradually by their intelligence. Do not force, but if gradually they understand, they will voluntarily accept the life of tapasya or austerity of Krsna Consciousness movement. In this way, by their voluntary agreement to join and follow strictly, they will assist me in the leading posts to spread on Lord Caitanya’s message all over the world.
Jan 9 1973
But we shall not present Krsna Consciousness as anything dry or like set of rules and regulations only, no. Krsna Consciousness is the topmost philosophy also, the highest knowledge of educational experience, so try to impress this aspect of offering the perfect scientific understanding of everything as it is, not the temporary and unsatisfactory and incomplete understanding of things. Try to present everything very logically and always quoting our Sanskrit authorities in connection with the main points, and that will impress them greatly. Yes, and if you also yourselves write something daily, that will sharpen your use of language and you will be able to make your points very clear. And if you dress neatly and conduct yourselves properly, that will help further.
Feb 21 1973
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 13 Feb. 1973 and have noted its contents carefully. Regarding Sriman Hayagriva Dasa; it is our duty to rectify him. To create a devotee takes much labor and to reject him in a minute is not to our credit so please try to do the needful in this regard. Consult the other GBC men there, then make a proposal to Hayagriva and if still he is incorrigible then you take the necessary steps.
Aug 23 1973
N.B. I have received one complaint from Indian devotee at Mayapur Prabharupa Das Brahmacari that he is mal treated by our American devotees. Kindly inquire into this matter and do the needful. Either Indian or foreign whoever joins us they are not under any obligation, our only tie is Love of Godhead. It should be our definite policy that nobody is ill treated that he may go away. We recruit a person to join us after spending gallons of blood. Everyone comes for reformation, you cannot expect everyone to be perfect, rather it is our duty to make everyone perfect as far as possible. So we shall be very much cautious and careful in this connection.
Some Conclusions—. When Srila Prabhupada explains in so many letters above that our dealings with each other as devotees of the Lord should be based upon love and trust because the entire process of bhakti is voluntary. Anyone can come and anyone can go, but it takes gallons of “blood” to convince someone to surrender their lives to God and then reap the benefit of going back to Godhead.
So when we by our behavior mistreat others that they wont even speak to us and just go away, that is generally, our own nonsense and not theirs. All efforts should be made therefore to rectify these situations so that the original love and trust that was there can be restored. If that attempt is made then we have done our duty, even if these individuals, do not accept. Then the burden goes to their shoulders.
That is the order of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Hare Krsna-Chant and Be Happy
damaghosa das
