Prabhupāda’s Vision on Using Every Facility for Kṛṣṇa
Śrīla Prabhupāda exemplified the principle of utilizing everything in the service of the Lord. He often explained that while a devotee remains personally detached from material possessions, he eagerly seeks out every possible facility—technological, administrative, or physical—to ensure that the message of Kṛṣṇa reaches every town and village.
Utilizing Modern Technology for Preaching
Śrīla Prabhupāda was a pioneer in using modern inventions to spread spiritual culture. He taught that rejecting technology out of a false sense of renunciation is "rascaldom" if those very tools can help thousands of people hear the glories of Kṛṣṇa.
- If I can go to America within fifteen hours for preaching facility, why shall not I use the aeroplane?
- If somebody criticizes, Oh, Caitanya Mahaprabhu walked on leg and you are travelling in the jet plane? Shall I have to take that ideal? These are rascaldom. When you have to work, you have to work with the greatest facility.
- Now I have got the facility of the talking in microphone, and... So why should I not take it? It will be recorded. It will be heard by so many others. I am speaking to four, five men. It can be heard by a big crowd of four hundred men.
Centers and Houses as Necessary Tools
For Śrīla Prabhupāda, building temples or acquiring property was never about becoming a proprietor. He saw these spaces as essential hubs for translation, publication, and the gathering of devotees to practice and distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- I have no ambition for becoming the proprietor of any Matha or Mandir but I want working facilities. I am working day and night for my Bhagavatam publication and I need centers in the western countries.
- I have no ambition to become the proprietor of any temple or house in America because what shall I do with them after becoming a Sannyasi but for the facility of work our own house is absolutely required.
- I wanted, Oh, there is a miracle. If I try to preach this miracle in the world. So he has given me the facility. I never wanted the Gaudiya Matha buildings.
Administrative Systems to Facilitate Service
As the movement grew, Śrīla Prabhupāda introduced management structures to facilitate his oversight of the world-wide mission. These systems were not meant to be bureaucratic hurdles but channels to keep him connected with his disciples' progress.
- The system of temple presidents sending twice monthly reports to the GBC was devised by me to facilitate my receiving news of all the centers through the GBC.
- My Guru Maharaja's policy was to give nice facility to devotees so that they may chant Hare Krishna Mantra peacefully and make advancement. But we cannot be luxurious.
- The idea is that we want to get some facilities (from the United Nations) for presenting our formulas to the different nations of the world. The formula is very simple, but sublime at the same time.
The Divine Source of All Facilities
Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate provider. When the Lord sees a sincere desire to serve Him, He provides the necessary facilities. This section reminds us that we are not for the facility itself, but for the service it enables.
- God is omnipotent. As soon as He understands that I want this, He gives me some facility so that I get it. So it is not chance.
- Krishna is giving us all facility to serve Him, and I am so pleased with the nice cooperation that my students are giving me in spreading this most important philosophy around the entire world.
- We are not for facility; we are for service.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s life was a masterclass in the practical application of spiritual science. He showed that a preacher must be ready to use any facility that helps push on the missionary work, while remaining personally detached from the results. By his example, he taught his disciples that a microphone is not just metal and wire, and a jet plane is not just a machine; when used for Kṛṣṇa, they become sacred instruments of the saṅkīrtana movement. His vision ensures that the vāṇī of the spiritual master can reach every soul, utilizing the best of what the world has to offer to lead humanity back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category My Facilities (Prabhupada). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.