06/09/98 - 1856

Hence Forward; An Easy Way Back

USA (VNN) - by Isa das

Hare Krsna
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
All Glories to All The Vaishnava devotees of the Lord

I wish to present the assembled Vaishnavas, quotes from Srila Prabhupada, which may inspire us to work together.

Your Servant
Isa das

Respect for all devotees
Ahmedabad
14 December, 1972
72-12-14
Byron's Bay, Australia
My dear Tusta Krishna,

Your next question, after leaving this material realm does the devotee remain forever with his spiritual master? The answer is yes. But I think you have got the mistaken idea in this connection. You speak of pure devotee, that he is saktyavesa avatara, that we should obey him only--these things are the wrong idea. If anyone thinks like that, that a pure devotee should be obeyed and no one else, that means he is a nonsense. We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it may be Siddhasvarupa or others, a-Siddhasvarupa. This must be very clearly stated. It is not only that your Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee and not others. Do not try to make a faction. Siddhasvarupa is a good soul. But others should not be misled. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it doesn't matter if Siddhasvarupa or non-Siddhasvarupa. Amongst ourselves one should respect others as Prabhu, master, one another. As soon as we distinguish here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee, that means I am a nonsense. Why you only want to be in the spiritual sky with Siddhasvarupa? Why not all? If Siddhasvarupa can go, why not everyone? Siddhasvarupa will go, you will go, Syamasundara. will go, all others will go. We will have another ISKCON there. Of course, Mr. Nair must stay. And if somebody does not go, then I shall have to come back to take him there. One should remember this and every one of my disciples should act in such a way that they may go with me and may not have to come back to take another birth. 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 to go to hell, like blind men leading the blind. Next you ask if I am present in my picture and form? Yes. In form as well as in teachings. To carry out the teachings of guru is more important than to worship the form, but none of them should be neglected. Form is called vapu and teachings is called vani. Both should be worshipped. Vani is more important than vapu. Your next question is, should we love Krishna or love the spiritual master: You cannot go to Krishna directly, loving Him. It is common sense that if Krishna is the object of your love, His pet dog is also the object of your love. Friends meet friends and if the friend is with his dog the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not? So the man becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country. The conclusion is this: Without pleasing the spiritual master he cannot please Krishna. If anyone tries to please Krishna directly, he's fool number one. Hoping this meets you and your good wife, Krishna Tulasi dasi, in good health and devotional mood. Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/sda


Caring for ISKCON

Letter to: Karandhara
--
Bombay
22 December, 1972
72-12-22
Los Angeles
My dear Karandhara,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your dated December 11, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care.
Regarding your points about taxation, corporate status, etc., I have heard from Jayatirtha you want to make big plan for centralization of management, taxes, monies, corporate status, bookkeeping, credit, like that. I do not at all approve of such plan. Do not centralize anything. Each temple must remain independent and self-sufficient. That was my plan from the very beginning, why you are thinking otherwise? Once before you wanted to do something centralizing with your GBC meeting, and if I did not interfere the whole thing would have been killed. Do not think in this way of big corporation, big credits, centralization--these are all nonsense proposals. Only thing I wanted was that books printing and distribution should be centralized, therefore I appointed you and Bali Mardan to do it. Otherwise, management, everything, should be done locally by local men. Accounts must be kept, things must be in order and lawfully done, but that should be each temple's concern, not yours.
Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing but beg from you and you provide. No. Never mind there may be botheration to register each center, take tax certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and responsibility, that is the point. I am little observing now, especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our programs of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking.
Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm. This spontaneous loving devotional service is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to the rules and regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds, chanting gayatri, keeping always clean--then his enthusiasm will grow more and more, and if there is also patience and determination, one day he will come to the platform of spontaneous devotion, then his life will be perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar of Devotion. So I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at once. Each center remain independent, that's all right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to follow the rules and regulations without fail.
So if some new man moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in your country, so educate them gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders. So my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty--by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arati--our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary.
They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it. That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented. There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles--Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy. So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves. Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy.

Hoping this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The Role of the GBC

Yes. As we have got twelve GBC’s, similarly Krsna has got GBC’s.
Now,
svayambhür näradaù çambhuù
kumäraù kapilo manuù
prahlädo janako bhéñmo
balir vaiyäsakir vayam

That twelve men are authorized to preach Krsna consciousness. So we
have to follow. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. Therefore we have
created these GBC. So they should be very responsible men.
Otherwise, they will be punished. They will be punished to become a
südra. Although Yamaräja is a GBC, but he made a little mistake. He
was punished to become a südra. So those who are GBC’s, they should
be very, very careful to administer the business of ISKCON.
Otherwise they will be punished. As the post is very great,
similarly, the punishment is also very great. That is the
difficulty. You can see from this example, Vidura. He was
immediately punished. He did little mistake at Maëòüka... Because
the Risi's, the munis, they will curse.
Dealing is very... Even Yamaräja is not taking.


Role of the GBC after Srila Prabhupada goes Home, Back To Godhead

Guest (2): What do you see as the future of your movement and are you planning to... Prabhupada: My movement is genuine.
Guest (2): ...to choose a successor. Prabhupada: It is already successful. Genuine thing is always success. Gold is gold. If somebody is fortunate, he can purchase gold, but gold remains gold. If somebody purchases and somebody does not, it doesn't matter. Gold is gold. So future, gold future is always the same as it is at present?if it is gold. If it is something glittering, that is another thing.
Guest (4): But there must be somebody, you know, needed to handle the thing. Prabhupada: Yes, that we are creating. We are creating these devotees who will handle. Hanumän: One thing he's saying, this gentleman, and I would like to know, is your successor named or your successor will... Prabhupada: My success is always there. Yes. Just like the sun is there always. It may come before your vision or not. The sun is there. But if you are fortunate, you come before the sun. Otherwise you remain in darkness. Sun is open to everyone. Our Krsna consciousness movement?Krsna is open to everyone.
But if you are fortunate, you come to the light. If you are unfortunate, do not. That is your choice.
Reporter (2): Are you training a successor? Prabhupada: Yes, my Guru Maharaja is there. Where is my photo of Guru Maharaja? I think... Here is.
Press conference July 16 1975


Reporter: Do you expect to name one person as your successor or have you already?
Prabhupada: That I am not contemplating now. But there is no need of one person. As other things are managed, but by committee, so this can also be managed, and the committee may elect one person as chief. As, just like in the democracy there are senators and there is president, so it may be I may nominate or they can nominate.
June 4 1976 Room conversation with reporter


Interviewer: What happens when that inevitable time comes when a successor is needed? Rämesvara: He is asking about the future, who will guide the movement in the future. Prabhupada: They will guide. I am training them.
Interviewer: Will there be one spiritual leader, though? Prabhupada: No, I am training GBC, eighteen all over the world. Rämesvara: His personal secretaries. Interviewer: I see.
June 10 1976 Interview with magazine reporter


Interviewer: I was wondering if he had a successor to do... Do you have a successor to take your place when you die? Prabhupada: Not yet settled up. Not yet settled up. Interviewer: So what process would the Hare Krsna...?
Prabhupada: We have got secretaries. They are managing. Rämesvara: He has appointed from all the disciples a group of secretaries. Each one is in charge of a different sector of the world. Interviewer: How many secretaries?
Rämesvara: Presently there is eighteen. Interviewer: And so that group of eighteen secretaries will choose another leader? Prabhupada: I am training each one of them as leader so that they can spread extensively. That is my idea.


July 14 1976 Interview with time
Some years ago Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja my spiritual master attempted to preach this message throughout the world but unfortunately after His departure the movement was not carried by the entrusted successors. I am feeling for it and I have come to Bombay for organizing this Letter Bombay Jan 1958
Mr Banerjee


Srila Prabhupada speaks about Temple Presidents and Local Devotees

Prabhupada: Maybe, but for management if we have to send foreigners, there are so many difficulties. But if the local people are trained up to our philosophy and mode of life, then there is no difficulty.
Talk April 18,1977

I am not very enthusiastic about the Harmonist idea, but if you have to sell Back To Godhead for minimum $1.00 then do it, what can be done? Regarding SubhaVilasa as Canadian GBC, if the presidents are satisfied with things the way they are and do not want SubhaVilasa that is alright. It was just a suggestion of Hamsaduta.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Letter to Tamala Krsna Vrindavan Oct 30 1976

Temple Leaders and Devotees with Private Bank Act's

The fact is not that how it should be realized but some plan how this extravagancy may be stopped. That is the real problem. Hence forward all expenditure, proper debit voucher must be maintained. If we do not place audited accounts to the Registrar of Societies they may cancel us. That is the law.

My dear Shasta,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 25/10/76.
Regarding Sukadeva, it has been found that he has got a substantial amount of money in private bank accounts. Perhaps you do not know this. He has caused a great difficulty in the management of our Honolulu temple. Of course Gurukrpa has got to handle the situation nicely, but what can I do from here.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/jda

Srila Prabhupada's Vision of the Future

Bhavananda: Then he said that “I can tell from his face that he can make a house in which the whole world can live peacefully.”
Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada!
Prabhupada: At least I desire so.

morning walk July 21 1975