I Require - Prabhupāda's Practical Vision for Preaching
When Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the phrases "I require" or "we require," he is not expressing personal, material hankering. Rather, he is outlining the practical necessities for executing a global spiritual revolution. As the founder-ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, he possessed an unparalleled vision for spreading Lord Caitanya’s movement, but he practically needed manpower, resources, and genuine dedication to make that vision a reality. Through these quotes, we see Śrīla Prabhupāda calling for millions of pure gurus, expert artists, vast amounts of transcendental literature, and strong managers. His requirements perfectly illustrate the principle of yukta-vairāgya—utilizing everything in the material world, from electricity to millions of dollars, strictly for the service and glorification of Kṛṣṇa.
Need for Genuine Preachers
Śrīla Prabhupāda understood the immense scale of the world's ignorance. To combat it, he constantly emphasized the requirement for vast numbers of sincere, uncompromising preachers who simply repeat the message of Kṛṣṇa.
- We require hundreds and thousands of gurus. But not cheaters.
- Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them.
- Lord Caitanya wants that this movement be spread to every nook and corner of the earth, so we require so many hundreds of thousands of sincere young men like yourself to take it up.
- Even though I (Prabhupada) am a fool number one, I become guru, because I am repeating what Krsna has said. That's all. I don't require any education. Very simple thing. Everyone can become guru if he simply repeats what Krsna has said, that's all.
Practical Necessities for Preaching
To spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Śrīla Prabhupāda practically required money, art, books, and infrastructure. He unapologetically demanded these resources, establishing that they were not for his personal sense gratification, but essential tools for delivering conditioned souls.
- My next scheme is to develop the New Vrindaban scheme, and I require there millions of dollars.
- Nobody paying us, no government, no..., that "You take so many million dollars for spreading Krsna..." Nobody. Therefore we require some gold.
- We require so many paintings now as we are planning to print so many illustrated books and there are so many new temples that are opening of our Krishna Consciousness Movement. So as many nice paintings as you are able to do can be well-utilized.
- There are many paraphernalia I require for my temples; it is not meant for business.
Management and Organization
As ISKCON rapidly expanded, the need for competent management became paramount. Śrīla Prabhupāda required strong leaders and secretaries to handle the administrative burden so he could focus on his most vital contribution: translating the Vedic literatures.
- Please give me relief from all the managing so I can devote my brain to the literary work. It requires a great deal of concentration.
- Yes, it certainly requires many leaders to manage the many affairs of a large scale institution, so you must train up whatever men you have got and try to manage this way.
- I require a male secretary because there are so many letters coming daily and which require expert management. At the same time he will be securing advertisements for Back To Godhead.
Spiritual Qualifications
While he needed men to perform practical tasks like translating and managing, Śrīla Prabhupāda stressed that these are not mundane activities. They require spiritual realization, maturity, and a strict adherence to the devotional process.
- This translation work is very important. It is not simply a matter of ABC's, but it requires spiritual realization to do it properly. I understand that you are a good sankirtana man and book distributer. So you all cooperate.
- Now we are requiring our students to be very well familiar with all our literatures so that we may present our philosophy before even the most educated persons.
- As soon as someone is trained then go to preach very nicely in Poland. Try to make some literature in Polish and Russian. Anyone can be trained to execute orders in sending out the books but preaching requires special qualification.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements regarding what he "requires" paint a vivid picture of a pure devotee totally engaged in executing the grand design of the Supreme Lord. He did not ask for things for his own comfort—in fact, he stated he only required "a little clothing and two capātīs." Instead, his massive demands for millions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of gurus, and first-class literature were entirely for the benefit of suffering humanity. He proved that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a massive, practical undertaking that requires immense manpower, organizational skill, and material resources, all firmly rooted in deep spiritual realization. By understanding Śrīla Prabhupāda's requirements, his followers are reminded of their ongoing duty to provide the men, money, and purity necessary to push forward Lord Caitanya's mission in every town and village.
Dive Deeper into Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category I Require (Prabhupada). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.