Srila Prabhupada: This is our movement. We are not going to exploit anyone.

October 14, 2024 in Articles by Bhakta Rupesh

Srila Prabhupada Lila

Srila Prabhupāda: Therefore, my Guru Mahārāja used to say, “This is not a place for a gentleman.” Formerly, therefore, they used to go away from the society, go in the forest, to give up this bad association. Live alone.

Hari-śauri: Practically speaking, that’s what we’ve done. By your establishing these temples, it’s given us someplace to go where we can get out of Kali-yuga.

Srila Prabhupāda: Therefore, our temples should be very carefully managed. It may not become again another pandemonium.

Devotee: Pan-demon. Pan-demon-ium.

Devotee: Says that in the dictionary.

Devotee: Place of demons

Srila Prabhupāda: Krsna has given us many nice places. People can live very comfortably. There will be no scarcity. Cultivate Krsna consciousness very seriously. That is wanted. Therefore, in this old age I am struggling so much to see that things are going on nicely. So far, I have seen, it is going on nice. But maybe the management is lacking. It may be the māyā is very strong. So be careful. All, you are all old students, and try to organize more and more solidly. The children should be taken, you can give lectures to the mothers, that children should be taken care of. They are future hopes. Child is the father of man. They say that we escape. What we are escaping? We have got all types of social society. There is grhastha, there is sannyāsī, there is brahmacārī. Whichever position is suitable, you accept and keep yourself sincere, that’s all. Unnatural there is nothing. Is there anything unnatural? And if they think that we’re prohibiting this meat-eating, this is unnatural, that we cannot. That is not unnatural, that is natural.

(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation. New Mayapura, Paris, France. August 2, 1976)

  • Srila Prabhupada: “This is our movement. We are not going to exploit anyone.”

Srila Prabhupada: “…The formula is already there. Bhagavad-gītā is the guidance, as it is. “Be happy here, and next life hope. Why you are disappointed? Take this way and be happy.” This is our movement. We are not going to exploit anyone. We are giving the right path: “Be happy in this life and next life also.” This is our mission. Para upakāra…”

(Srila Prabhupada Conversations. Bhuvanesvara, Orissa, India. January 21, 1977)

  • Srila Prabhupada: Do not make it a stool society, make it a honey society

“…..So, he is comparing all the books written by Vyāsadeva, including the Vedānta philosophy. He says that this is vāyasam tīrtham. Vāyasam tīrtham. Vāyasam means crows. And the crows, and their place of pleasure. Have you seen crows? In India we have got many crows. In your country crows are not very… But in India the crows, they take pleasure in all nasty things. The crows. You’ll find they will take pleasure in a place where all nasty things are thrown, garbage. They’ll pick out the garbage, find out where there is mucus, where there is pus. Just like flies. They’ll sit down on the stool. Mākṣikam bhramarā icchanti. And the bees, they will try to take honey. Even in the animals you’ll see. The honey… The bees will never come to the stool. And the ordinary flies, they never go to collect honey. Similarly, there are divisions in the birds, divisions in the beasts, divisions in human society. So, you cannot expect that ordinary person will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You see? Because they have been trained to become flies, they will taste stool. You see? The modern education is to teach people to become flies, only stool. Not here, Krsna consciousness. But you make it a honeycomb. Those who are after, seeking after honey, they will find, “Here is something.” You see? Don’t make it a stool society. You see? Make it a honey society. At least, give chance, those who are seeking after honey. Don’t cheat people. So, they’ll come…”

(Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures. [Sb.1.5.9-11,] New Vrindaban, Moundsville, West Virginia, USA. June 6, 1969)

Srila Prabhupāda: That is my concern, that such huge, huge establishment, if properly, regularly not managed, then again everything will be finished.

Devotee: I don’t think that that’s going to happen, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We’re too much indebted to you to allow what you have established to become spoiled.

Srila Prabhupāda: Please see to that.

Devotee: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Srila Prabhupāda: In this condition it is impossible for me.

Devotee: All you should have to do is just think about Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Kindly give me that chance…

I have given in writing everything, whatever you wanted—my will, my executive(?) power, everything. Disaster will happen if you cannot manage it. Hm?

(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Vrindavana, Uttar Pradesh, India. October 2, 1977)

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 PrabhupādaThat 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)

  • If we perform some nonsensical action and think, “I am doing this for Kṛṣṇa,” that will not be accepted.
  • The work must be verified by Kṛṣṇa’s acceptance or by the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa’s representative.

Now the occupational duties have expanded, but it doesn’t matter whether one is an engineer, a doctor or whatever. Simply try to serve Kṛṣṇa by the results of work. That is bhakti. It is not the philosophy of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to disengage people from their activities. One should engage in his occupation, but one should never forget KṛṣṇaKṛṣṇa advises us to always become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and we should always think that we are acting for Kṛṣṇa. Of course, we should work by the order of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, not whimsically. If we perform some nonsensical action and think, “I am doing this for Kṛṣṇa,” that will not be accepted. The work must be verified by Kṛṣṇa’s acceptance or by the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa’s representative. Arjuna did not fight without Kṛṣṇa’s order; therefore, we must receive our orders alsoWe may say, “I cannot find Kṛṣṇa. How can I follow His order?” It is the role of the sādhu to impart Kṛṣṇa’s orders. Since Kṛṣṇa’s representative is the sādhu, Kapiladeva advises His mother to associate with sādhus

(Teachings of Lord Kapila. Text 24)

  • Srila Prabhupada’s warning regarding the danger of manufacturing out of whims.

Srila Prabhupada: “…This is common sense thing. I manufacture my own way by the advice of some, another rascal. This will not be good. …But to fulfill the words of the devotee, Krsna came. Therefore, He is called Sākṣi-Gopāla, witness Gopāla. So, we must have faith. We must have faith and discharge duties according to the śāstra, guru, sādhu, then our spiritual life is guaranteed. If we manufacture something out of whims, that will not help us. This is the point…”

(Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures. [Sb. 1.16.36], Tokyo, Japan. January 30, 1974)

“Religious principles have certainly been violated in this assembly. One should not remain for even a moment in a place where irreligion is flourishing. A wise person should not enter an assembly if he knows the participants there are committing acts of impropriety. And if, having entered such an assembly, he fails to speak the truth, speaks falsely or pleads ignorance, he will certainly incur sin.”

(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.44.9-10)

  • We have got practical experience how a great institution was lost by whimsical ways.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā [Cc. Madhya 7.128], “You become a spiritual master under My order.” So if you carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa, then you become guru. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā. Unfortunately, we do not wish to carry out order of the ācāryas. We manufacture our own ways. We have got practical experience how a great institution was lost by whimsical ways. Without carrying out the order of the spiritual master, they manufactured something and the whole thing was lost. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura stresses very much on the words of the spiritual master. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kurunandana [Bg. 2.41]. If you stick to the order of spiritual master, then, without caring for your own convenience or inconvenience, then you become perfect.

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
[ŚU 6.23]
This is the confirmation of all authorities. We have to carry out very faithfully the order of the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. We have to hear from the tattvavit, not from the so-called scholars and politicians. No. One who knows the truth, you have to hear from him. And if you stick to that principle, then you understand everything very clearly. Thank you very much. (end)

(Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Class [Sb. 1.2.11], Vrindavana, Uttar Pradesh, India. October 22, 1976)

Srila Prabhupāda: This is our position. That is very easy for us. We haven’t got to manufacture. To manufacture idea is troublesome. Why should we take trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something to my…, that is dangerous. Gurumukhapadmavākya, cittete kariyāaikyaārakarihamaneāśā **. This is… You are singing every day, “What our guru has said, that is our life and soul. We do not want…” ārakarihamaneāśā **. And your guru’s article, you have given. Do you think is all right? We are reading every day, yasya prasādād bhagavatprasādaḥ **. As soon as this poison will come—”Suppress guru and I become Brahman”—everything finished. Spiritual life is finished. Gauḍīya Maṭha finished, that…, violated the orders of Guru Mahārāja.

Patitapāvana: In that press release that we gave the paper we wrote a great deal about the work of Your Divine Grace in the West and how…

Srila Prabhupāda: So how you get it that “Here is only prominent, Surabhī Swami”?

Patitapāvana: One thing is, he’s a Christian.

Srila Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be…

Patitapāvana: I guess so. It’s true.

Srila Prabhupāda: He has nothing to do…

Patitapāvana: But we have emphasized that several times in the talk.

Srila Prabhupāda: Hm. What is that?

Girirāja:

sarvam etad ṛtaṁmanyeyanmāṁvadasikeśavanahitebhagavanvyaktiṁ
vidur 
devānadānavāḥ
[Bg. 
10.14]

Sarvam—all; etat—these; ṛtam—truth; manye—accept; yat—which; mām—unto me; vadasi—You tell; keśavaKṛṣṇa. Translation: “O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.”

Srila Prabhupāda: So, it is easy for us. What Kṛṣṇa says and Vyāsadeva says, that’s all. We haven’t got to manufacture. And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. Evaṁparamparāprāptamimaṁrājarṣayaḥ... [Bg. 4.2]. This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. Whatever little success is there for me, I did not manufacture any idea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Neither you take any credit.

Srila Prabhupāda: No. Why shall I take?

tāṅderacaraṇasevībhakta-sane vāsa
janame janame 
hayaeiabhilāṣa

Our mission is to serve bhaktaviśeṣa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guruguruṣu naramatiḥ. That is the material disease. The article clearly says that it is everything, “your city,” “his city.” That is clearly intimated that “You have dropped from the sky to give this city to the world.” That is the sum and substance. Is it not? What is this nonsense? So, do the needful.

Patitapāvana: All right, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances) (end).

(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Bombay, Maharasthra, India. April 20, 1977)

  • Why this GauḍīyaMaṭha failed?
  • Because they tried to become more than guru
  • He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that “This man should be the next ācārya
  • But these people, just after his passing away they began to fight, who shall be ācārya. That is the failure. They never thought, “Why GuruMahārāja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be ācārya
  • They wanted to create artificially somebody ācārya and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if GuruMahārāja wanted to appoint somebody as ācārya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become ācārya
  • Then another man came, then another, ācārya, another ācārya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by GuruMahārāja. That is perfection.
  • And as soon as he learns the GuruMahārāja is dead, “Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru.” Then he’s finished

Acyutānanda: What prompts the soul to misuse his independence or improperly use…?

Srila Prabhupāda: Because he has got little independence. Yathecchasi tathā, he has got this.

Acyutānanda: Why do some misuse it and some never misuse it?

Srila Prabhupāda: That depends on him. If one is determined that “I shall only act according to the advice of my Guru Mahārāja,” then he’s perfect. One has to submit like Arjuna said, śiṣyas te ‘haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg2.7]. Otherwise, he’ll argue.

Devotee: Even nityasiddha has guru.

Yaśomatīnandana: Even the liberated soul, nityasiddha.

Srila Prabhupāda: Liberated soul never says that “I am liberated.” As soon as he says “liberated,” he’s a rascal. A liberated soul will never say that “I am liberated.” That is liberated. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is God—guru more mūrkha dekhi’ karilaśāsan[Cc. Ādi 7.71]. “My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool number one, and he has chastised Me.” He’s God. This is the example. If one remains always a servant ever-lastingly of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he’s a rascal. That is the teaching of Caitanya MahāprabhuGuru more mūrkha dekhi’Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mūrkha? Why He’s posing Himself that mūrkha? “I am fool number one.” That means that is liberation. You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he’s liberated. And as soon as he thinks that “I am beyond this chastisement, I am liberated,” he’s a rascal. Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu says guru more mūrkha dekhi’ karilaśāsan? This is sahajiyā-vāda. He is thinking, “Oh I have become liberated. I don’t require any direction of my guru. I’m liberated.” Then he’s rascal. Why this Gauḍīya Maṭha failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He, before passing away, he gave all direction and never said that “This man should be the next ācārya.” But these people, just after his passing away they began to fight, who shall be ācārya. That is the failure. They never thought, “Why Guru Mahārāja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be ācārya?” They wanted to create artificially somebody ācārya and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Mahārāja wanted to appoint somebody as ācārya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become ācāryaThen another man came, then another, ācārya, another ācārya. So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Mahārāja. That is perfection. And as soon as he learns the Guru Mahārāja is dead, “Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru.” Then he’s finished.

Yaśomatīnandana: They kept fighting, and when the real ācārya emerged they all became wonderstruck. They all became baffled. Now they all know in their hearts. They all know it. I can see. They all know that who is real ācārya.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The real ācārya emerges by his own preaching?

Devotee: Yes. (devotees offer obeisances)

Srila PrabhupādaHare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Bombay, Maharasthra, India. August 16, 1976)

  • This is our position. That is very easy for us. We haven’t got to manufacture. To manufacture idea is troublesome.
  • What our guru has said, that is our life and soul. We do not want . . .” āra nā kariha mane āśā. 
  • As soon as this poison will come—”Suppress guru and I become prominent”—everything finished. Spiritual life is finished.  Gauḍīya Maṭha finished, that . . . violated the orders of Guru Mahārāja.
  • Whatever little success is there for me, I did not manufacture any idea.
  • Our mission is to serve bhakta-viśeṣa and live with devotees.
  • Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. 
  • As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru—guruṣu nara-matiḥ . . .that is the material disease.

Srila Prabhupāda: This is our position. That is very easy for us. We haven’t got to manufacture. To manufacture idea is troublesome. Why should we take trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something, to . . . (indistinct) . . . that is dangerous. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā kariha mane āśā. This is . . . you are singing every day, “What our guru has said, that is our life and soul. We do not want . . .” āra nā kariha mane āśā. And your guru’s article, you have given. Do you think is all right? We are reading every day, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. As soon as this poison will come—”Suppress guru and I become prominent”—everything finished. Spiritual life is finished. Gauḍīya Maṭha finished, that . . . violated the orders of Guru Mahārāja.

Patita-pāvana: In that press release that we gave the paper we wrote a great deal about the work of Your Divine Grace in the West and how . . .

Prabhupāda: So how you get it that “Here is only prominent, Surabhi Swami”?

Patita-pāvana: One thing is, he’s a Christian.

Srila Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be . . .

Patita-pāvana: I guess so. It’s true

Srila Prabhupāda: He has nothing to do . .

Patita-pāvana: But we have emphasized that several times in the talk.

Srila Prabhupāda: Hmm. What is that?

Girirāja: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manyeyan māṁ vadasi keśavana hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁvidur devā na dānavāḥ (BG 10.14)

sarvam—all; etat—these; ṛtam—truth; manye—accept; yat—which; mām—unto me; vadasi—You tell; keśava—Kṛṣṇa. Translation: “O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.”

Srila Prabhupāda: So, it is easy for us. What Kṛṣṇa says and Vyāsadeva says, that’s all. We haven’t got to manufacture. And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayaḥ . . . (BG 4.2). This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. Whatever little success is there for me, I did not manufacture any idea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Neither you take any credit.

Srila Prabhupāda: No. Why shall I take?

tāṅdera caraṇa-sevī-bhakta-sane vāsajaname janame mor ei abhilāṣa (Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura)

Our mission is to serve bhakta-viśeṣa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru—guruṣu nara-matiḥ . . . that is the material disease. The article clearly says that it is everything “Your city,” “His city.” That is clearly intimated that, “You have dropped from the sky to give this city to the world.” That is the sum and substance. Is it not? What is this nonsense? (pause) So do the needful.

Patita-pāvana: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

(Conversation, Bombay, April 20, 1977)

We should be always active. We shall always make plan, think how to protect this miserable condition of the material… They cannot understand. They are fools. They are rascals. So, you have to give them knowledge. You have to give them help. That is missionary activity. Missionary activity is not laziness or sleeping. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that prāṇaācheyāraseihetupracāra, that “I have got some dozens of disciples, and I have got a temple, and people are contributing. Now I have got good arrangement for eating and sleeping. Now I am perfect. Because I am getting some food without any work, and honor, then I am perfect.” This is not the mentality. Prāṇaācheyāra. You must be engaged continually for these missionary activity. The Gauḍīya Mission has failed in preaching work because they adopted this principle. As soon as they got a little shelter under the name of Maṭha, or temple, and a few dozen of…, not few dozen, one dozen, then he is settled up there. Now he is bhajana, “Hare KṛṣṇaHare KṛṣṇaHare KṛṣṇaHare KṛṣṇaHare Kṛṣṇa,” showing that he is very great chanter. And what is your preaching? Lord Caitanya ordered you pṛthivīteācheyata nagarādi. Why don’t you go? How you are Indian?

Therefore my Guru Mahārāja condemned this policy. Manatumi kisera vaiṣṇava: “What kind of Vaiṣṇava you are?” Pratiṣṭhāratare nirjanera ghare: “And simply for cheap popularity, ‘Oh, he is a Vaiṣṇava. He is chanting. All right.’ ” Pratiṣṭhāratare nirjanera gharetavahari…, nirjanera ghare. No botheration, because if there is no preaching, there is no botheration. You can sit down and show people, “I have now become a very liberated soul,” and chant and meditate. That means sleeping. This sort of business is condemned by my Guru MahārājaPratiṣṭhāratare nirjanera gharetavaharināmakevala. This is simply cheating. He did not approve this kind of business. He did not approve. He wanted to see that everyone is engaged in preaching work, some sort of preaching work, either indoor or outdoor. When you are indoor you have to be busy writing articles for a magazine and proofread and so many things indoors. And outdoors you have to go door to door, make them members, make them interested in this movement, collect money for expenses, outdoor. Preaching, you have to meet opposing elements. So many will criticize, so many will attack. Nityānanda Prabhu was hurt personally, but still, outdoor. This is missionary work, not that “Whenever I find some opportunity, go to some solitary place and sleep.” This is not missionary life.

(Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Class [Sb.6.3.18], Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. February 11, 1971)