Prabhupāda Explains to His Disciples That Book Distribution Is Their Main Business
When expanding a global spiritual society, the temptation to become absorbed in management, construction, and corporate administration is ever-present. To combat this material drift, Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly clarifies that the absolute core function of the movement is to distribute transcendental knowledge and rescue conditioned souls. By keeping book distribution, public chanting, and preaching at the forefront of all activities, devotees remain protected from mundane distractions and fulfill the true purpose of their spiritual lives.
Escaping the Cycle of Conditioned Life
Before a devotee can effectively preach to others, they must deeply understand the urgency of their own spiritual situation. In his foundational teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the true business of human life is not to make comfortable arrangements for eating and sleeping, but to permanently exit the cycle of birth and death. Because the time of death is entirely unpredictable, a sincere practitioner must prioritize their internal purification to ensure they finish their material business in this very lifetime.
- Our main business should be to get out of this conditioned life and again become situated in spiritual existence.
- Our main business is how to become Krsna conscious. This is the main business of human life. But if we waste our time for material improvement, and forget chanting, then that is loss, great loss.
- Finish this business of birth, death, old age and disease in this life. You can do that. This is our main business, not to make arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating and defending under different garb, under different pretext.
- We do not know when we shall meet our next death, our next exit from this platform. But before going out of this platform, we may try to finish Krsna consciousness. That is our main business.
The Urgency of Book Distribution
To turn the faces of the bewildered masses back toward the spiritual realm, the mass publication and distribution of transcendental literature is absolutely essential. Elevating this activity above all other programs, Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that profusely distributing books is the most direct way to expand the mission and please the disciplic succession. When devotees dedicate their full energy to this transcendental competition of selling literature, he assures them that the movement will never experience any shortage of funds or spiritual potency.
- Actually, our main business in this country shall be to distribute our books profusely. Mayapur, Vrindaban, these temples shall be utilized for the most part by foreigners.
- Print books as many as possible and distribute. This is our main program. All other programs secondary. So with this aim in view, work all together. Our Caitanya-caritamrta is unique literature.
- I am so glad that you are selling my books nicely. Yes, always try to sell our books and Back to Godhead, as far as possible. That is our main business.
- I am very encouraged by the report of how nicely our books are being distributed. This is our main business all over the world. If you give full attention to this, there will never be any shortage of funds.
Public Saṅkīrtana and Reaching the Masses
While internal temple rituals are crucial for a devotee's personal purification, they must not overshadow the outward distribution of spiritual mercy. When instructing center leaders, Śrīla Prabhupāda regularly points out that public saṅkīrtana and touring on the streets holds a higher priority than isolated Deity worship. The general public rarely visits a temple spontaneously, so the devotees must proactively go out to vibrate the holy name and deliver spiritual sound directly into the ears of the conditioned souls.
- I am glad to learn that you are continuing your mahasankirtana, that is very nice. This is our main business. Temple worship is not so important as Sankirtana on the public roads and selling our literatures.
- Touring and book distribution, side by side, this is the main business. The general public will not be very much interested to see the deity; it is our personal business.
- Your efforts there are especially nice and pleasing to me. Actually, Sankirtana Party is our main business, and even you do not find a temple there for some time it is not cause for any disturbance.
- One thing we must remember that we are not professional musicians or concert party. Our main business is to vibrate the Holy Name of Krishna everywhere so that the people will be benefited by hearing the transcendental sound.
Avoiding the Distractions of Material Expansion
It is easy for a growing spiritual organization to unconsciously adopt the metrics of mundane corporate success, such as amassing wealth or constructing massive properties. To guard against this deviation, Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly warns his disciples that big buildings are only valuable if they directly facilitate the preaching work and shelter sincere seekers. The society must never become business-minded or strive merely to accumulate money, as this entirely defeats the primary purpose of awakening dormant love for the Supreme Lord.
- Our main business is to become Krsna conscious and to convince others through preaching work; therefore, we do not want to strive for making big business and lots of money.
- Our purpose is not to construct big, big buildings. That is required for propaganda work, for giving shelter to people. But our main business is how to turn the face of the bewildered conditioned souls towards Krsna.
- The idea is we must have the necessities of our life as far as possible independently. But we should not be business minded. Our main business is to develop our dormant Krsna consciousness.
- We are not so much after big, big buildings, we are interested to preach only. But if such building will enhance our preaching work and not distract us from the main business, then it is nice.
Training Devotees for the Preaching Mission
The long-term survival of the movement relies on systematically training individuals to be spiritually robust and practically self-sufficient. Rather than centralizing all authority, Śrīla Prabhupāda encourages his leaders to empower competent men who can independently carry on the preaching work worldwide. Regardless of whether one resides in the gṛhastha or sannyāsa āśrama, maintaining strict daily duties, caring for tulasī, and living cooperatively with other devotees form the essential foundation for a lifetime of successful preaching.
- 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.
- Our main business is to be fixed up in Krsna consciousness by keeping steady in the prescribed duties of devotional service.
- Our policy is to live with devotees. Immediately return and live with devotees and take care of the Deities and Tulsi. That is our main business. My Guru Maharaja condemned living alone in a lonely place.
- You remain as a grhastha, remain as sannyasi, remain as brahmacari as it becomes suitable for you, but preach. That is the main business. If you lacking in preaching and become a sannyasi, what is the use of sannyasa? Better... A grhastha is better.
Conclusion
By clearly defining the central objectives of his society, Śrīla Prabhupāda ensures that his disciples will never lose sight of their true spiritual responsibilities. Whether engaged in widespread book distribution, vibrant street chanting, or rigorous personal training, every action must ultimately serve the goal of awakening dormant God consciousness. When devotees remain strictly focused on this main business, they protect themselves from material illusion and guarantee their safe return to the spiritual world.
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 Main Business (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.