Prabhupāda Explains to His Disciples the Purpose of Their Teaching
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement operates fundamentally as a global educational institution designed to rescue humanity from the profound ignorance of material existence. Rather than promoting a new sectarian faith, Śrīla Prabhupāda meticulously trained his disciples to teach the absolute science of the soul and the supreme art of loving God. By demanding that his followers first perfect their own behavior before instructing others, he ensured that this pure, unadulterated knowledge would successfully empower a new generation of spiritual teachers to guide the world back to Godhead.
The Post-Graduate Study of Religion
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is often misunderstood as merely another sectarian religion, but it is actually an educational institution offering the highest science of the soul. By avoiding the superficial practice of proselytizing from one faith to another, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed that his disciples must instead teach people how to revive their original spiritual identity. The ultimate goal of this teaching is to bring humanity to the post-graduate level of religious understanding, which is to awaken unalloyed love for the Supreme Lord.
- Actually, we are not preaching a particular type of faith. We are teaching the post graduate studies of all religions: we are teaching people how to love God and who is the man that will deny this principle?
- Bhagavata says, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6): "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating, teaching people how to love God. That is our mission.
- Our principle is not to proselytize from Christian to Hindu or Muhammadan to Hindu. We are teaching simply how to revive his own constitutional position to become servant of Krsna, how to love God. That is Krsna consciousness movement.
- Hindu, Muslim, or whatever you may be, everyone accepts there is God. So we are teaching not to formally accept there is God, but know what is God and love Him. So those who are interested for higher knowledge of God, they'll take it.
Teaching Through Personal Example
Spiritual instruction loses its potency if the teacher does not practically live by the principles they are speaking. Following the perfect standard set by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda constantly reminded his followers that they must first behave perfectly before they attempt to correct or instruct anyone else. When a preacher demonstrates ideal character, self-control, and strict adherence to the regulative principles, their teachings become spiritually infectious and naturally transform the hearts of others.
- First behave yourself perfectly; then teach others to become perfect. That is preacher.
- Human being, our business is to teach and become ideal ourself. Apani acari prabhu jivere sikhaya (Lord Caitanya). We have to teach by our personal behavior.
- Lord Caitanya made it a principle that we must teach by personal example. This is what I have tried to do. So if all of you my disciples do this, then the future of our movement will be glorious.
- Our business is to raise ourselves to the highest status of life as preachers of Krsna's message, and one should behave himself rigidly, then he should instruct others. Two things: Be himself exemplary, then teach others to be exemplary.
Presenting the Absolute Truth Without Alteration
In the modern age, countless speculative philosophers and so-called spiritual leaders invent their own paths, misleading innocent people. To protect the absolute truth, disciples are strictly trained to present the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam exactly as they are, without adding personal opinions or manufacturing new concepts. By transparently repeating the words of the Lord and the previous ācāryas, the teacher acts as a flawless medium, delivering perfect knowledge that can genuinely rescue the conditioned soul.
- Since we ourselves do not possess perfect knowledge, we simply try to teach what Sri Bhagavan says. We do not manufacture our own teachings.
- What Krsna taught in the Bhagavad-gita, we are teaching the same thing without any different manufactured ideas. That is our Krsna consciousness movement. And it is open to everyone. The process is very simple.
- Our teaching, Krsna consciousness, is perfect because we have taken the lesson from Krsna. Just try to understand how perfect we are. We don't say anything as "I think," "maybe," "perhaps." No. We never say so. We say definite.
- We are not manufacturing anything. Everything is there. Everything is there in the sastra. We do not invent anything. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah (Bhagavad-gita 16.23). The, we are trying to follow as far as possible, and we are teaching that.
Reviving the Constitutional Position
The ultimate purpose of acquiring spiritual knowledge is to solve the real problems of material existence: birth, death, old age, and disease. Rather than focusing on temporary economic development or bodily comforts, the teachings of the movement are designed to show humanity how to escape this painful cycle altogether. When disciples go out to preach, they are distributing the highest welfare work by educating people on how to permanently stop their suffering and return to an eternal life of bliss and knowledge.
- Krsna consciousness movement means we are teaching people how to get out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease and become as good as God.
- We are teaching people that "Don't spoil your this rare human form of life simply by engaging yourself in the matter of sense gratification."
- This cycle of birth and death is going on. Guru's business is how to stop this cycle of birth and death. And it is not very difficult. Teach him to understand Krsna, and Krsna is assuring.
- We are teaching, "Stop your this cycle of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. Come to eternal life and blissful life." So we are the only friends. All are enemies even in the shape of friend or father or teacher - enemies.
Educating from Early Childhood
Spiritual education does not need to be delayed until adulthood; in fact, the most effective time to instill transcendental values is during early childhood. Through the establishment of the gurukula system, children are taught the principles of self-control, clean behavior, and devotion to God long before material desires can take root in their hearts. This early training ensures that the next generation will consist of first-class, intelligent individuals who can provide true guidance to an otherwise misguided society.
- We have opened our gurukula asrama in Dallas. We are teaching from the very beginning of life small children how to become brahmacari. That is required.
- Our gurukula means how to teach them to become self-controlled. That is first business. This literary education secondary, grammar secondary. The first necessity is how to create them santa, danta, self-controlled.
- We have got our school, Dallas. We are teaching the small children to make the boys first-class men, as it is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita, and woman to become very faithful and chaste. That's all.
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had a plan to start teaching the people at sixteen . . . - Well, now, we can teach even a child, without waiting for sixteen.
Empowering All Followers to Become Teachers
The mandate to spread spiritual knowledge is not restricted by one's birth, nationality, or previous social background. If one sincerely adopts the practices of devotion and understands the science of Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Prabhupāda confirmed that they are fully authorized to become a spiritual teacher and deliver others from ignorance. This empowering system ensures that the movement can expand progressively, with every sincere student eventually taking up the responsibility of guiding their own circle of influence toward the absolute truth.
- It doesn't matter you Europeans, Americans, not born in brahmana family. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's approval. If you try to understand the science of Krsna and if you behave properly, you can teach about Krsna all over your country, all over the world.
- Whatever limited circle, you just become guru and deliver them. Deliver means deliver from the ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance, so we have to teach them that "You are not this body. You are pure soul. Your business is different."
- You are progressing so nicely in Krsna consciousness by teaching others. That is the system. Learn yourself and teach others, then this Movement will grow progressively.
- You can understand that I am very much depending on you to become very much convinced yourself of our Krsna philosophy and to take full responsibility for teaching others purely.
Conclusion
By presenting Kṛṣṇa consciousness as an exact and practical science, Śrīla Prabhupāda transformed his followers from conditioned souls into empowered teachers of the absolute truth. He demanded strict personal behavior and a flawless repetition of the paramparā, ensuring that this transcendental education would remain pure as it spread across the world. Through this selfless and systematic teaching work, the disciples carry forward the ultimate mission of awakening humanity to its eternal, blissful relationship with 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 Teaching (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.