Prabhupāda Guides His Disciples on What to Do When Somebody Approaches the Mission
Building a worldwide spiritual society from the ground up required immense tact, patience, and compassion. To ensure his followers could properly manage the influx of new people, Śrīla Prabhupāda expertly guided his disciples on how to accommodate anyone who approached the movement. He taught them to warmly welcome voluntary service, strictly maintain spiritual standards, and view every individual's contribution through the absolute vision of devotional service.
Welcoming Voluntary Service and Association
The ultimate goal of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awaken the dormant love of God within every living entity. Because spiritual life cannot be forced upon anyone, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed his disciples to keep the temple doors open for voluntary association. He explained that by simply allowing the public to interact with the devotees and hear the philosophy in a welcoming environment, many sincere souls would naturally become inspired to take up the practice seriously.
- My main purpose is to propagate the teachings of Lord Caitanya or Krishna consciousness. I am not after recruiting some disciples; but for preaching work we want some assistants and if somebody offers voluntarily his service it is welcome.
- Anyone can come and live with us. That is called association. Faith, association. Then by association somebody becomes interested to become initiated: So I shall also become bona fide initiated disciple.
- Just like so many boys and girls come to our association just like somebody forcing him, forcing him, "You just remain in this association." That is Krsna's grace.
- If by sentiment somebody comes to Krsna consciousness and if for a few days he chants Hare Krsna mantra, their success, in future at least, guaranteed.
Testing Sincerity and Establishing Standards
While the temples offered a welcoming atmosphere, they were not meant to be utilized as cheap boarding houses for idle people. To protect the purity of the institution, Śrīla Prabhupāda established clear boundaries, requiring newcomers to actively engage in service rather than exploiting the society's resources. He sternly warned his temple presidents not to hastily recommend new arrivals for initiation, insisting that a prospective disciple must first prove their sincerity by strictly following the regulative principles.
- Whenever a somebody comes to me for becoming my disciple, my first principle is that you must give up illicit sex life. You must give up meat eating, fish eating, egg eating, all this nonsense.
- This system now should stop that somebody's coming for three days - "Prabhupada, initiate him." Why? First of all see whether he's fit for becoming a disciple; then recommend. Otherwise, don't recommend.
- If somebody comes here, the free hotel and free sleeping accommodation, then his coming to this association is useless. He must learn how to serve.
- If some intelligent persons join us, then our movement may advance swiftly. This is encouraging. But intelligence or no intelligence, if some way or other somebody comes and sticks to the principles automatically he becomes intelligent.
Engaging Everyone Equally in Devotional Service
In the material world, labor is often divided by prestige, with intellectual work valued higher than menial tasks. However, in the realm of pure bhakti, Śrīla Prabhupāda established that every activity performed for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord carries the exact same spiritual potency. He trained his followers to respect all forms of service equally, ensuring that whether a person was performing high-level Deity worship or simply sweeping the floor, they were recognized as essential servants of Kṛṣṇa.
- All servant, we are. Somebody is engaged in dressing the Deity. Somebody is engaged in preparing nice foodstuff for Deity. Somebody is making flower garlands. Somebody is going to distribute literature to make people understand the glories of Krsna.
- We are not lazy. We are not sleeping. Everybody is busy. Somebody is going to write, somebody is going to type, somebody is going to sell books, somebody is preparing prasadam, somebody is cleansing, somebody is going to sankirtana.
- Suppose we are worshiping Deity. That is the duty of brahmana; but somebody is called that "You cleanse this floor." So he should not think that "I am cleansing the floor; therefore I am lower than the person directly worshiping the Deity." No.
- No, everyone should do it. Yes, everyone should learn. Everyone should learn. Sometimes somebody is doing something, somebody is doing something. Yes, like that. Everyone should be expert in every respect, twenty-six qualifications.
Managing Disagreements and Defections Compassionately
Because the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds, occasional disagreements and fluctuations in commitment are inevitable. When dealing with internal friction, Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly forbade his leaders from resorting to mundane force or calling the police to expel dissenting members. He taught them to accept the voluntary nature of the society with detachment, gracefully allowing individuals to serve separately or even leave the movement entirely if they could no longer cooperate.
- Another request I have to you is that there have now been two instances of when somebody does not agree you try to get them out by calling the police. This is never to be done. This is the mistaken policy of Shayasundar, but do not follow this principle.
- If you do not satisfy his senses, everyone is free to run away. That you cannot check. You cannot say, accuse somebody. Because here everyone is giving voluntary service. Nobody is servant. So if he doesn't like something, at any moment he can go away.
- My point is that even if somebody does not go in one line with the rest of the godbrothers, he can remain separately, but it does not mean that he may disobey the principles that I have laid down.
- A few cases have happened also that joined, being nice, but all of a sudden drifted from our Society. So Narada Muni advised that even some, sometimes somebody may not continue, but falls down, there is no loss.
Conclusion
Managing a global society requires a delicate balance of deep compassion and uncompromising spiritual integrity. By instructing his followers on how to deal with whoever came to their doors, Śrīla Prabhupāda ensured that the temples remained pure sanctuaries of devotional service. His expert guidance allowed his disciples to confidently preach, accommodate newcomers, and maintain the steady expansion of the movement without losing their spiritual focus.
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 Somebody (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.