Prabhupāda Addresses All His Disciples
Śrīla Prabhupāda envisioned all of his disciples as the vanguard of Lord Caitanya's movement, specifically sent by the Supreme Lord to assist him in his global preaching mission. He empowered them not only to practice pure devotional service but to become future spiritual masters who would distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the suffering humanity.
Sent by the Supreme Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda felt deep affection and gratitude for his disciples, seeing them as direct gifts from Kṛṣṇa and his Guru Mahārāja. He recognized that their presence was not accidental, but a divine arrangement to aid in the heavy task of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Krishna has kindly sent all of you to assist me.
- My Spiritual Master knew it that alone I could not do this great work. Therefore He has very kindly sent you all to help me in this task. I accept you therefore as representatives of my Guru Maharaja playing as my affectionate disciples.
- You are all good souls and therefore Krishna has sent you all for giving me chance to serve Krishna.
- Who knows if all the boys and girls joining me were not born by the Supreme Will of Krishna just to help me in this great task of distributing Krishna Consciousness in the Western World specifically.
The Foundation of Spiritual Strength
To maintain the purity and potency required to change the world, the disciples had to adhere strictly to their vows. Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly stressed that chanting sixteen rounds and following the four regulative principles were the absolute prerequisites for spiritual survival and protection from māyā.
- You must all carefully follow these four regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds.
- All of us must chant at least 16 rounds daily to keep us fit on the Krishna Consciousness transcendental platform.
- My advice is always chant 16 rounds minimum and follow the four regulative principles. All of my disciples must agree on this point otherwise they are not my disciples.
- If we are in spiritual strength, there will be Kaliyuga no scarcity of money; and the spiritual strength is that each and every one of us must chant the sixteen rounds of beads and follow the rules and regulations with great adherence.
The Mandate to Preach and Become Guru
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was not designed for a single leader; it required every follower to become a teacher. Śrīla Prabhupāda urged all of his students to assimilate the philosophy, preach boldly, and prepare themselves to take on the role of guru to deliver their native countries and neighborhoods.
- All of you become spiritual masters. Your duty is simply to talk to whomever you meet of Krsna, or of the instructions given by Krsna.
- I am training you all to become future Spiritual Masters.
- Every one of you become guru and deliver the residents of your neighborhood. Ei desa. Wherever you are living, just deliver them. Become their guru.
- Preaching shouldn't depend on me only. My disciples should become all good preachers, and that depends on studying the books nicely so that you can arrive at the right conclusion.
The Importance of Studying the Literature
Realization and effective preaching depend on a deep understanding of the spiritual science. Śrīla Prabhupāda commanded his disciples to read his books diligently every single day, so they could become highly qualified and spiritually intelligent, and not be misled by manufactured ideas or temporary difficulties.
- All of my students should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles.
- I am requesting all of my students to read my books very seriously every day without fail.
- As much as possible all of my students should become very well versed in all the philosophy presented in our books.
- You should all spend more time reading my books very carefully and stop all this unnecessary manufacturing.
Working Together in Cooperation
The practical execution of the mission required a unified front, free from personal disagreements or competition. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that genuine surrender to Kṛṣṇa naturally results in the ability to cooperate peacefully and manage the society's affairs expertly for the ultimate benefit of humanity.
- It will please me very much if you all can work together nicely.
- Unless you surrender, where is the cooperation? Just like all my disciples, because they have surrendered, so there is cooperation.
- My request to you all is that you maintain that spirit of cooperation always and help me to deliver Lord Caitanya's message all over the globe.
- I am very glad to learn that you are all working peacefully together. This is the most favorable atmosphere for cultivating our Krishna consciousness.
The Ultimate Protection of Kṛṣṇa
For those who dedicated their lives to his instructions, Śrīla Prabhupāda guaranteed ultimate success. By maintaining faith and strict practice, the disciples were assured of Kṛṣṇa's protection from māyā and their eventual return back to home, back to Godhead, a process made simple by the Lord's mercy.
- Keeping full faith in Krishna and the Spiritual Master, and executing the routine works of chanting and following the regulations. That will make you all great preachers, and wherever you go you will come out victorious.
- Everyone of you should be thoroughly convinced of the power of the Hare Krsna mantra to protect you in all circumstances and chant accordingly at all times without offense.
- You are all Prahlada, representative of Prahlada. You keep your confidence in Krsna, and He will give you protection.
- I can understand that all of you are very sincere boys, and are very eligible candidates for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda's vision for all of his disciples is a profound call to spiritual leadership and purity. By recognizing themselves as instruments of the Supreme Lord and adhering strictly to the regulative principles and the chanting of sixteen rounds, they build an unbreakable spiritual foundation. Through deep study of the transcendental literature and unwavering cooperation with one another, they become empowered to act as genuine spiritual masters, distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ultimately returning back to Godhead. This comprehensive approach, combining personal practice, continuous learning, united action, and absolute faith, is the key to fulfilling the mission and achieving perfection.
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 All Of Us (Disciples of SP). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.