Prabhupāda Explains the Importance of Training His Disciples
Creating a global society of pure devotees requires far more than the mere distribution of theoretical philosophy; it demands rigorous practical education. Understanding this immense task, Śrīla Prabhupāda dedicated his life to training his disciples in every aspect of spiritual and practical behavior. By reforming their character, teaching them how to preach, and establishing authentic brahminical standards, he expertly forged a worldwide movement capable of delivering humanity from the darkness of material illusion.
The Core Purpose of Spiritual Education
The goal of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to completely overhaul the degraded conditions of modern human society. Observing that people are often living without higher spiritual principles, Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that his primary mission was to train individuals to rise above animalistic tendencies. This is not simply an academic endeavor, but a complete transformation of character, religion, and behavior. By providing this holistic training, the movement prepares ordinary people to become ideal human beings fit for entering eternal, spiritual life.
- We are trying to train them from animalism to humanism by associating with this Krsna consciousness movement.
- The Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for overhauling the whole situation. We are creating men of character, and we are training our disciples to become Lovers of God, or Krishna.
- We are training them as ideal man - by character, by religion, by behavior, by education. That is the purpose of this Krsna consciousness movement. And you can see practically what was their previous life and what they are now.
- So this Krsna consciousness means training people for becoming fit to enter into that eternal life, blissful life. That training is meant for human being, not for animals. So you should not misuse this human form of life.
- Our whole program is to train the untrained. Nobody is in Krishna Consciousness and we are trying our best to bring people in that platform.
Establishing Brahminical Standards
Spiritual elevation requires a solid foundation of purity and discipline. To achieve this, Śrīla Prabhupāda rigorously trained his followers to adopt the qualities of genuine brāhmaṇas. This training centers on the path of nivrtti-mārga, which involves voluntarily restricting one's senses by avoiding illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Coupled with the daily chanting of the mahā-mantra, these strict boundaries cleanse the heart of past sinful conditioning and establish the impeccable character required for pure devotional service.
- We are training our boys to become brahmanas, to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities, to take bath, to take this, take that. And above all, chanting Hare Krsna. Ceto-darpana-marjanam, cleansing of all sinful activities.
- In our Krishna Consciousness Society we are training our students up to the standard of brahminical culture. So the great respect we are getting here in India and throughout the rest of the world is due to these restrictions.
- You will be pleased to know that all of my disciples are trained from the beginning to build up character, and such character is built up by following the restrictions of no illicit sexual connections, no meat-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling.
- New devotees must all be trained nicely how to render devotional service by chanting 16 offenseless rounds daily and following the 4 regulative principles. Kindly set a nice example yourself for everyone and in this way make your lives perfect in full Krsna consciousness.
- Krsna consciousness movement is training of nivrtti-marga, the basic principles, so many no's. "No" means nivrtti. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. So this is the no, "no" path.
Empowering Future Preachers and Leaders
Knowing that a worldwide movement requires hundreds of capable leaders, Śrīla Prabhupāda focused intently on cultivating the next generation of spiritual authorities. He personally guided his senior disciples and governing body members, preparing them to manage independently and preach with deep conviction. Instead of centralizing all power around himself, he actively delegated responsibilities, desiring that every disciple become sufficiently trained to carry the torch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and serve as a future spiritual master.
- I am training you all to become future Spiritual Masters.
- I have a great hope to train some of my disciples for preaching work, even in my absence; I wish to leave some trained preachers so that they can do the work of Krishna Consciousness in the western world.
- Now I am more and more wanting to work on my books and diminish all this travelling. So I am more and more depending upon you GBC. Of course you GBC are in training, but you are all the hope for the future of our movement.
- Personally I wish all the existing GBC may be trained up so perfectly that in the future in my absence they can manage the whole Society very nicely and strongly; that is my desire.
- Our main business is to train up men to be self sufficient and competent in many ways to carry on the preaching work, not to make them into specialists or to minimize their responsibility by centralizing everything.
The Art of Practical Temple Management
Maintaining the high standards of a spiritual institution requires practical skills and cooperative management. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed that devotees must be patiently taught the arts of Deity worship, cooking, and administration. When inevitable mistakes occur, the solution is not to bureaucratically dismiss volunteers, but to lovingly guide and retrain them. By empowering local individuals to independently run centers and maintain the worship programs, the movement expands steadily on a foundation of self-sufficiency and mutual cooperation.
- All the wives of our students should be especially trained up for Deity worship and cooking, and when possible they should go outside on Sankirtana Party with their husbands and others.
- Your program for training everyone in the proper form of Deity worship and other temple activities is very, very good.
- Take books as much as you like and with the local man's help immediately open a center and try to stay there as long as possible. In your absence the local man may manage. Train him in that way.
- If our men are trained, one man can run a place. One experienced man can sit down in a hut and simply talk about Krsna and organize the local people. This is how I started in the beginning.
- Everyone is offering voluntary service. So not that anyone is paid, and if he cannot, dismiss or... Yes. This bureaucracy is not... Train him. Train him. If he does not know, train him. But things must be done very nicely by cooperation. That is wanted.
Training Children from an Early Age
The impressions formed during childhood dictate the entire course of an individual's life. Recognizing this, Śrīla Prabhupāda championed the gurukula educational system, where children are saturated with spiritual culture from their earliest years. He stressed that academic education is secondary; the primary duty of parents and teachers is to instill a profound love for Kṛṣṇa. Protecting dependents from the cycle of birth and death through this specialized spiritual training is considered the most vital service a householder can perform.
- From the very beginning, a boy must be trained to perform devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- If a child is trained properly in Krishna Consciousness, he will never go away. That means he must have two things, love and education.
- Our children in Dallas school should be trained because I want that a new generation of devotees shall carry on this great mission successfully.
- We should concentrate on training these children up in Krishna Consciousness, not so much by formal, academic education--a little reading, writing, mathematics, that's all.
- One should become a parent only if he can deliver his ward from the clutches of death. And that is possible only with Krsna consciousness. This is a very great service for Krishna, to give all opportunity for the child to be trained up in devotional service.
Training the Mind to Conquer Illusion
Ultimately, the external training of following rules and preaching is meant to culminate in profound internal discipline. The material mind is naturally restless and easily distracted by the allurements of māyā. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that the art of spiritual living is learning to continuously steer the consciousness back to the Supreme Lord. By rigorously training the mind during one's healthy life, a devotee ensures that they will flawlessly remember Kṛṣṇa at the traumatic moment of death, thus achieving ultimate liberation.
- We have to train up the mind until we get the another body. That is the art of living. So if you train up your mind simply to think of Krsna, then you are safe. Otherwise there is chance of accidents.
- At the time of death we have to think very rightly. That is required. That is human life. You have to train yourself in such a way that at the time of death you think of Krsna.
- We get a devotee after great endeavour, and we must train such devotee in a nice way so that he may not go back and be at large in the clutches of Maya.
- When we train ourself to move and act in according to that supreme consciousness, then we become transcendental to all these pious or impious activities. That is the technique.
- The best thing is to train ourself in this Krsna consciousness, and then it will be possible in this life at the time of death to transfer ourself into the spiritual world and enter into the Krsnaloka and enjoy in the association of Krsna.
Conclusion
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement operates as a vast educational institution where every member undergoes continuous, dynamic training. Śrīla Prabhupāda envisioned a society where rigorous brahminical discipline harmonizes perfectly with practical management and enthusiastic preaching. By humbly accepting this lifelong training and passing it down to the next generation, disciples equip themselves and others with the spiritual strength needed to overcome material illusion and return eternally to the Supreme Lord.
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 Training (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.