Prabhupāda's Expectations for the Preaching Mission
Throughout his teachings and correspondence, Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently outlined exactly what he expected from his followers. He set the highest spiritual standards, expecting every disciple to strictly follow the regulative principles, rise early for morning programs, and ultimately become a pure and qualified spiritual master. At the same time, he possessed deep practical wisdom and frequently managed the expectations of his leaders, reminding them that they must expect opposition from the material energy and that not everyone will immediately become a devotee. Despite these profound challenges, the success of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement expanded far beyond his initial, humble expectations. He often reflected with wonder on how sincerely the Western youth accepted the strict Vaiṣṇava lifestyle, attributing all the impossible success entirely to the mercy of his spiritual master. By studying what Śrīla Prabhupāda expected, we gain a clear blueprint for how to conduct our own spiritual lives and effectively push forward this glorious preaching mission.
Expectations for Disciples
Śrīla Prabhupāda did not want his movement to be filled with passive followers; rather, he expected every sincere disciple to strictly practice the daily spiritual routines and eventually mature into an ācārya by repeating the message of the disciplic succession.
- Every student is expected to become Acarya. Acarya means one who knows the scriptural injunctions and follows them practically in life, and teaches them to his disciples.
- Every morning I go to the temple and see the Deity and offer obeisances, so I expect each and every one of my disciples should also follow what I have given in this connection, arising early, taking bath, attending mangal arati.
- You should read Back To Godhead and Srimad Bhagavatam, and surely your life will be sublime. In the future we expect you to be a great preacher of this movement to the world.
- My Spiritual Master, Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura, may appear to be physically not present, but still because I try to serve His instruction I never feel separated from Him. I expect that all of you should follow these instructions.
Success Beyond Expectations
When Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived in America, he humbly wondered who would ever accept the strict rules of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yet, by his absolute faith and purity, the movement and the distribution of transcendental books expanded well beyond his initial expectations.
- I came to your country to execute the mission of my Spiritual Master at a very old age and by the Grace of my Spiritual Master within four or five years with your cooperation we have expanded beyond expectation.
- I never expected. When I came first in Boston, I was thinking, "Oh, who will accept these Vaisnava rules and regulations? These people are after meat and wine and illicit sex, and how they will accept it?"
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to print as many books as possible and distribute them all over the world. We have tried our best in this connection, and we are getting results beyond our expectations.
- When we came to New York in 1965, we never expected that the Hare Krsna maha-mantra would be accepted in this country.
Realities of the Preaching Mission
A pure devotee operates in reality, not illusion. Śrīla Prabhupāda continually reminded his leaders that creating pure devotees is a painstaking endeavor, and that opposition, difficulty, and occasional fall-downs are to be expected when fighting against the powerful material energy.
- Of course, as preachers we have to expect to face so many opposing elements, and actually we are doing so. Moreover, we are always protected by Krsna. But this crazy threat for our destruction should not go unchecked; please do the needful.
- Regarding Damodara's plight, we are very sorry but we must always expect that some of the weak soldiers may fall down in a fight waged against the great Maya external energy of Krishna.
- So suppose I am talking to you (Professor Lewcock) for the last more than one hour; you have not become my devotee. So we have to spend gallons of blood to make a devotee; therefore we cannot expect many number.
- I am feeling no more headaches nor any severe buzzing sound - but still some buzzing is going on. After all it is a broken house and I cannot expect all the comforts of a newly built house in an old broken residence.
Practical Management and Expansion
To ensure the movement remained structurally sound, Śrīla Prabhupāda established clear, practical expectations for all branches. He outlined specific quotas for book distribution, structural requirements for centers, and exact financial duties for the householders.
- We are selling Back To Godhead through the personal approach, through the Sankirtana Party, so I expect each center to sell 50 copies daily on the average as we have practical experience here.
- Those who are householders living outside, they are expected to contribute fifty per cent of the income for the society, twenty-five per cent for the family, and twenty-five per cent for his personal emergency.
- I expect that each center must have a nice Samkirtan party. If you join Samkirtan party, who will maintain and manage the center?
- It is the necessity of the human society to become Krishna Conscious and each state has to take it seriously to implement the idea among the citizens. So we expect to push on our movement to that extent, that is our objective.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda's expectations were entirely rooted in love, compassion, and an urgent desire to save conditioned souls. He expected great things from his followers, not out of a desire for personal power, but because he saw their immense spiritual potential. While he marveled at how Kṛṣṇa's mercy expanded the movement beyond his own expectations, he was never naive about the harsh realities of the material world. By giving us strict daily standards, practical management guidelines, and warning us of the struggles ahead, he perfectly equipped his followers to succeed. To fulfill Śrīla Prabhupāda's expectations is the perfection of our lives; by distributing his books, maintaining strict personal sādhana, and cooperating together, we can ensure that this glorious movement continues to expand far beyond what the world ever thought possible.
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 I Expect (Prabhupada). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.