Prabhupāda's Anxiety for the Welfare of His Disciples
To see Śrīla Prabhupāda in "anxiety" is to see the peak of divine compassion. He did not worry about his own comfort or prestige, but rather about the spiritual progress of those who had entrusted their lives to him. This personal concern reveals the deep bond he shared with his disciples and his intense desire to see the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement flourish for generations to come.
Guarding the Disciples from Material Influence
Śrīla Prabhupāda felt the weight of his role as a spiritual father, traveling the world repeatedly to ensure his disciples remained steady. His anxiety was focused on preventing his followers from being spoiled by māyā or falling away from their vows, showing that his love was aimed at their ultimate, eternal benefit.
- My duty is to see that my disciples who have accepted me guru, they may not fall down. That is my anxiety.
- Just like I am traveling all over the world twice, thrice, in a year. My duty is to see that my disciples who have accepted me guru, they may not fall down. That is my anxiety.
- You may be assured that I am always anxious about the welfare of my disciples, so that I am taking steps to rectify this unfortunate situation.
- My only anxiety is to guide you; Krsna sometimes makes me sick just to examine how much you have learned to conduct the business under my guidance, with a little independence.
The Urgent Need for Cooperative Management
Nothing caused Śrīla Prabhupāda more distress than the potential for internal fighting or mismanagement. He often begged his leading disciples to work together and to follow his guidelines, explaining that if they could manage the institution combinedly and without whimsy, he could finally find relief to focus on his translation work.
- I do not wish to see that somehow or other we have built up a nice institution, on account of lack of management it may be hampered. That is my only anxiety.
- The whole management should be done combinedly. Do not fight amongst yourselves, as that is my only anxiety.
- I made the GBC to give me relief, but if you do like this, then where is the relief. It is anxiety for me. This is the difficulty, that as soon as one gets power, he becomes whimsical and spoils everything. What can I do?
- My only anxiety is that don't be extravagant; otherwise you take money and spend it.
Maintaining the Purity of Deity Worship
For Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Deities were the heart of the temple, and their proper service was a direct reflection of a disciple’s spiritual health. He expressed great anxiety that in his absence, the standard of worship might become slack or neglected, which would ultimately spoil the entire spiritual project he had built.
- My anxiety is that in my absence you may neglect Deity worship. Then the whole thing will be spoiled. That is my anxiety.
- So many temples. I have given my program how to manage it. Now you see. That is my anxiety, that there may not be any discrepancies or slackness. Am I right or wrong?
- It is very encouraging. I've received one telegram from Hamsaduta. It is understood he has personally gone to Jaipur to take the Deities, and he will personally take them to Bombay, so there is no anxiety for the Deities.
- When we established the Bury Place Deity, on the three days before, the Deity which I ordered from India, it did not arrive. Three days before. And I was so much full of anxiety.
Anxious for the Expansion of the Mission
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s vision was global, and his anxiety often touched upon the details of preaching expansion. From the financial stability of the Back to Godhead magazine to the progress of construction in sacred places like Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana, he remained constantly attentive to ensure the mission was moving forward successfully.
- Back to Godhead is already in difficulty for financial matter. It is giving me some anxiety. Back to Godhead may not be stopped publication--it will be a great setback for our missionary purpose.
- I am very much anxious to know about the arrangements being made for laying the corner stone in Mayapur.
- Regarding your idea of going to Copenhagen, it is very nice, and I am always anxious to open strong temples where the chanting of Hare Krishna and Krishna Consciousness philosophy will be propagated nicely.
- Please enlighten me by return mail how you are making progress in our movement, how the Japanese people are responding. Naturally I am very much anxious to know that.
Conclusion
Throughout these quotes, we see that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s anxiety was a symptom of his intense spiritual responsibility and love. He desired to be relieved of these anxieties not for his own sake, but so the mission could reach its full potential and he could focus on providing us with his eternal translations. By honoring his request to manage combinedly, maintain the highest standards of Deity worship, and look after one another’s spiritual welfare, we can give Śrīla Prabhupāda the peace he so deserved. His anxiety was the anxiety of a father who wants nothing more than to see his children safe, happy, and successfully situated in their eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
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 Anxiety (Prabhupada). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.