I Have Got Experience - Prabhupāda's Practical Wisdom and Realized Knowledge
When Śrīla Prabhupāda said, "I have got experience," he was speaking as a compassionate teacher who had navigated every phase of human life to show us the way back to Godhead. His experience was not merely a collection of years, but a profound realization of how Kṛṣṇa’s energy works in the material world. He shared his personal journey—from his childhood as a "cowboy" in the spirit of Vṛndāvana to his life as a jet-age parivrājakācārya—to help us avoid the same mistakes he observed in others. Śrīla Prabhupāda didn't want us to learn the hard way; he wanted us to learn from his experience. Whether he was discussing the dangers of industrialization, the health of simple living, or the absolute necessity of following the spiritual master's orders, his words were always rooted in practical reality. By listening to his experiences, we are not just reading history; we are receiving the protective guidance of a loving father who has already walked the path and knows exactly where the dangers lie.
Realization Through Material Detachment
Śrīla Prabhupāda often spoke about his transition from householder life to renunciation, explaining that his bad experience with material affairs was what made him so determined to serve Kṛṣṇa. He used his own life as an example to show that material attachments are ultimately temporary and that true security is found only at the lotus feet of the Lord.
- I have gone through variety stages of life. So I have got full experience of this material world. I don't want it. That determination is there.
- I have got my personal experience. I never tried, never accepted that I shall become a sannyasi. And I tried my best to keep myself in this material world.
- We have renounced our family life after thinking something. Now, if somebody comes, "Swamiji, you take thousand millions of dollars and marry again and become a family man," I'll never become, because I have got my bad experience.
- Asat: they will not stay. I have got experience. Everyone has got. I was children, you were children. Now, I had father to take protection or other relative, friend. But now they are gone. Asatsu. Everything is finished.
Observations of a Global Preacher
As Śrīla Prabhupāda traveled the world multiple times a year, he observed the condition of humanity with a keen spiritual eye. He shared his experiences in Moscow, New York, and India to illustrate that regardless of political systems or material wealth, people are unhappy and unsafe without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- I have got experience by traveling in the Western countries. Especially in America, they have got so many nice arrangements of big, big universities. Unfortunately, nowadays they are producing hippies. So this is not very encouraging.
- Superficially, it appears that in the USA there is sufficient provision of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but actually nobody is safe even in his good apartment. I have got practical experience in New York.
- This is the country, Moscow. I have got practical experience in going there. And always suspicious. And the people in general, they are very unhappy, very unhappy, because they have no freedom. A young man cannot go out of the country.
- I have got considerable experience now because I am wandering East and West, not only once, at least twice, thrice in a year. So far Krsna consciousness movement is concerned, we have no such thing, East and West.
Faith in Kṛṣṇa’s Protection and Challenges
Śrīla Prabhupāda shared the "very dangerous" and very rewarding aspects of spiritual life. He revealed that Kṛṣṇa might take away material income to favor a devotee, but he also promised, based on his practical experience, that Kṛṣṇa always fulfills the needs of those who depend on Him.
- Krsna said: "If I specially favor anybody, then I take away all his sources of income." Very dangerous. I have got my practical experience in this connection.
- I have got now practical experience that you depend on Krsna, there will be no scarcity. Whatever you want, it will be fulfilled.
- I have got this personal experience in my Guru Maharaja's institution. Different Godbrothers took the words of Guru Maharaja in different interpretations for sense gratification and the whole mission disrupted.
- I also speak from the Bhagavad-gita and the students also speak from the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is the same in all the centers. But it may be because I have little more experience I can explain them a little more nicely.
Practical Guidance for Daily Life
Ever the practical teacher, Śrīla Prabhupāda used his experience to give advice on physical and mental health. He spoke against the "dungeon" of mining areas, the platform of laziness, and the dangers of unhygienic eating, showing that Kṛṣṇa consciousness includes a healthy, common-sense approach to living in this world.
- I have got practical experience, if you cook your own food, whatever it may be, it is healthy. And if you do it very carefully, then you'll never get disease. Take simple food, neat and clean, you'll not get disease.
- I do not like to have New Vrindaban with industrial or mining areas. I have got experience of them in India, that the mining areas are simply next to dungeon.
- To retire from activities is not very good idea for the conditioned soul. I have got very good experience, not only in our country but also in your country, that this tendency of retiring from activities pushes one down to the platform of laziness.
- So far I have experience, the best way to remove ghosts is to chant Hare Krishna very loudly and have jubilant kirtana until they leave.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s experiences serve as a transcendental compass for all of us. He did not ask us to follow him blindly, but rather to see through his eyes and learn from the decades of practical experience he gathered in both the East and the West. He proved that whether one is in a big university or a simple jungle, the only real solution to life's problems is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He shared his bad experiences with the material world so that we wouldn't have to suffer them ourselves, and he shared his good experiences with Kṛṣṇa to give us the confidence to surrender. As our spiritual father, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s experience is our greatest asset. By sticking to the path he cleared for us and following his simple, experienced advice on everything from cooking to chanting, we can safely navigate this world and reach the same sublime destination that he so gracefully attained.
Dive Deeper into Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives eternally within his instructions. This article is a loving summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category I Have Got Experience (Prabhupada). We enthusiastically invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation, immerse yourself in his mercy, and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.