How Prabhupāda Guides His Disciples to Overcome Their Bad Habits
Transforming a deeply conditioned soul requires a highly potent spiritual process and immense patience. When guiding his followers, Śrīla Prabhupāda recognizes that those born in Western countries are thoroughly accustomed to degraded lifestyles and cannot be expected to become perfect overnight. He provides a practical cure for these deeply rooted addictions, explaining that strict adherence to devotional practices, combined with compassionate community support, will ultimately purify anyone of their material past.
The Transformative Power of the Holy Name
The material energy heavily conditions the mind, making it nearly impossible to break destructive cycles through sheer willpower alone. To overcome this bondage, Śrīla Prabhupāda introduces the absolute easiest method of purification for the modern age. By simply taking up the chanting of the mahā-mantra, practitioners naturally develop a profound spiritual taste that immediately overrides their lower desires, rendering all previous worldly addictions completely insignificant.
- We have practical experience that anyone who accepts this fruit of love of Godhead and sincerely tastes it immediately becomes mad after it and gives up all his bad habits, being intoxicated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gift, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
- American boys are very beautifully chanting Hare Krsna. They are chanting loudly. They are eagerly hearing Gita and Bhagavata siddhanta. They are also practicing sadacara, leaving all bad habits. Also, they are taking Mahaprabhu's mahaprasada.
- The difficulty is that we cannot come to the pure stage of chanting Hare Krsna mantra. Due to our past habits our mind is disturbed. We cannot concentrate. Therefore we have fixed up the minimum.
Conquering Deeply Rooted Material Addictions
Modern society actively encourages activities that severely restrict spiritual growth, such as animal slaughter, intoxication, illicit sex, and gambling. Recognizing the heavy burden his students carry, Śrīla Prabhupāda acknowledges that completely giving up these deeply ingrained cultural norms is an incredibly difficult task. However, he also affirms that by surrendering to the order of the spiritual guide, even the most habituated individuals can successfully completely walk away from their previous destructive behaviors.
- All of our devotees in the Western countries give up their old habits of illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. Of course, five hundred years ago these practices were unknown in India - at least in eastern India.
- I say that you cannot take meat, you cannot smoke. So all my students, they were accustomed to this habit, but by my order they have restrained.
- We cannot expect that all of a sudden, being addicted to so many bad habits, your countrymen, will give up eating flesh, taking intoxication, sex-life, and so many other nasty things, and become overnight great self-realized souls. That is not possible.
- It is not that all our students were free from this alcoholic habit or meat-eating or illicit sex, no. They were habituated. But because they have taken to the devotional service, this is all finished.
The Cure Through Strict Devotional Practice
Old mental impressions do not simply vanish; they must be actively replaced by superior spiritual engagements. To ensure his disciples remain safe from relapse, Śrīla Prabhupāda insists on strict adherence to a daily regulated routine. He explains that loudly completing one's prescribed rounds of chanting and meticulously serving the deities acts as a guaranteed protective shield against the sudden resurfacing of any nasty material urges.
- It is understood that everyone has some nasty habits but by sticking to Krsna consciousness, chanting our required rounds loudly, and tending the Deities, these items will surely save you.
- By sticking to Krishna consciousness, chanting our required rounds loudly, and tending the deities, these items will surely save you from nasty habits. So always be seriously engaged in serving Krishna and pray to Krishna to help you with your frailties.
- Our students are strictly observing the four rules or restraints from impure habits and they are factually living according to the highest standard of religious life.
Patience and Compassion for Sincere Devotees
The journey to complete purity is a gradual process, and occasional stumbling is a natural part of overcoming lifetimes of conditioning. Displaying profound empathy, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructs his community to be extremely patient and forgiving when a fellow practitioner reveals their old characteristics. As long as a devotee remains genuinely committed to the core principles of the philosophy, they are to be considered a sādhu, and their accidental mistakes must be carefully rectified rather than used as a reason for rejection.
- One thing we should always remember is that all of our devotees picked up here are accustomed to all of these bad habits in their past life, so if sometimes they reveal their old characteristics, instead of rejecting them, it is up to us to rectify them.
- If one is found doing mistake or doing something wrong, but because he is sticking to this principle of Krsna consciousness, he is sadhu. Sadhu means a holy man. He is holy. He is not doing any wrong consciously. But due to habit.
- He has taken to the shelter of Krsna, therefore his all past business is finished. Although, due to past habit, sometimes you find some mistake, it is not to be taken.
- All of you are coming from backgrounds of bad habits, so to make progress in Krishna consciousness we must overlook the faults of others. You must be patient with your husband.
The Severe Danger of Reviving Old Habits
While compassion is essential for accidental fall-downs, deliberate negligence poses a massive threat to the entire spiritual institution. Specifically addressing the managers and senior preachers, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that willingly reviving old material habits will completely destroy the foundational integrity of the society. He makes it clear that a leader who becomes loose in their practice will inevitably pull the entire congregation down with them, turning the sublime mission into a catastrophic failure.
- I want that what I have established may go on nicely, but I see that some of the devotees are reviving their old "good" qualities. That is the difficulty. If the old habits come back, then everything is finished.
- You are one of the important leaders, so if you are feeble and you are still victim of such habits, then the other members who are following your example will be led to ruination by you only.
- If you are loose in your habits, then everyone in your temple will also be loose in their habits. So, as one of my elder disciples, be strong. Do not deviate and you will be blessed.
- I never believed that again you would go back to your old habits, giving up the Krsna consciousness movement in a whimsical way.
Conclusion
The path to perfection is gradual, yet it is absolutely guaranteed for those who remain sincere and determined. By applying the compassionate but strict guidance of Śrīla Prabhupāda, dedicated devotees can successfully overcome lifetimes of material conditioning. Sticking rigidly to the regulative principles and fully absorbing the mind in the holy name ultimately ensures that all destructive worldly habits are permanently eradicated.
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 Our Bad Habits. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.