Prabhupāda Instructs His Disciples on Keeping Themselves Pure
The material world is a contagious environment, heavily polluted by the modes of passion and ignorance. To protect his disciples from this constant contamination, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave them an uncompromising formula for spiritual hygiene. He taught that purity is actively maintained by keeping the mind fully absorbed in chanting, keeping the physical body healthy for service, and keeping the temple atmosphere immaculately clean. By strictly adhering to these protective measures, his followers remain untouched by illusion and fit to preach to the entire world.
The Foundation of Purity
Spiritual strength does not happen by accident; it requires rigorous, daily maintenance. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasized that a devotee must be highly vigilant to keep themselves pure. The foundation of this purity is the strict adherence to the basic regulative principles—specifically the daily chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and the punctilious observance of the morning program.
- Always chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. That will save you. That Krsna chanting and hearing, that will keep us safe.
- At any moment we can fall down. Therefore we have to keep ourselves very much vigilant, strong, strong. Strength, the spiritual strength is the chanting Hare Krsna mantra and following the rules and regulations.
- Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street sankirtan, etc. In this way keep yourself engaged in Krishna's business 24 hours and you will be really happy in this life.
- Keep yourselves strong in Krsna Consciousness by following all of my basic principles. That is of the utmost importance. Do not fail to chant 16 rounds daily, rise early, come to mangala arati, come to classes and follow the 4 regulative principles.
- If you simply keep to our standard programme, that means chanting daily 16 rounds, rising early, attending mangal arati, like that, if this programme is strictly maintained amongst all the devotees, they will remain pure.
Total Protection from Māyā
The illusory energy is incredibly powerful and constantly looks for a vulnerability to exploit. However, she cannot touch someone who is fully engaged in devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed his disciples that the only foolproof defense against māyā is to keep oneself permanently immersed in the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, leaving not even a split second for material indulgence.
- Maya is very strong. If we do not keep ourselves fit by chanting Hare Krsna, we may fall a victim at any moment.
- Maya is always there like a shadow, presenting reasons for refraining from devotional service but if we simply keep ourselves engaged in Krsna Consciousness, then Maya cannot touch.
- Keep yourself always fixed in Krsna's service. Don't let even a spit moment go by being engaged in the service of maya.
- Externally, internally, he becomes immediately purified. So keep on chanting, you keep yourself purified, maya cannot touch you. Maya's contamination will not touch you. Just like if you take vaccine, the infectious disease will not touch you.
- If you keep yourself strictly to the principles of bhakti-yoga, maya's father also will not be able to do anything.
Keeping the Mind Fixed on Kṛṣṇa
Spiritual life is ultimately a matter of consciousness. If the mind wanders into material thoughts, the practitioner falls from the spiritual platform. To prevent this, a devotee must actively train their intelligence to stay focused. He taught that by constantly hearing, reading, and working for the Lord, one keeps the mind anchored to Kṛṣṇa, which is the perfection of the yoga system.
- It is not very difficult, Krsna consciousness. You have to keep your consciousness always absorbed in the thought of Krsna.
- If you always keep yourself in Krsna consciousness or God consciousness, then you are pure. Therefore we advise our students, "Chant Hare Krsna." As soon as you chant this sound, Krsna, immediately you are in touch with Krsna.
- If you can keep yourself always, constantly in Krsna consciousness, always thinking of Krsna, then you are pure.
- You keep Krsna on the mind. The maya, darkness will never be able to come. That is the first-class yoga system.
- To fix up the mind means to keep your mind in Krsna, then finished, all yoga. You are perfect yogi.
Physical Fitness and Cleanliness
While devotees understand they are not the material body, they do not neglect it. The body is a crucial instrument for executing devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed his followers to keep themselves physically fit and impeccably clean. By eating only necessary amounts of kṛṣṇa-prasādam and maintaining high standards of personal hygiene, the disciples ensure they have the stamina required for heavy preaching work.
- Physical life, so you must keep yourself fit to execute Krsna consciousness. It is not our desire that you become sick and you cannot chant.
- Don't take food, don't eat simply for satisfying your palate. That is called sense enjoyment. But you, just to keep yourself fit, just to keep your body fit for giving service to the Lord, you can eat Krsna prasada.
- The proper upkeep of health is cleanliness. If you keep yourself clean, then your, I mean to say, problem of health is solved. Simply cleanliness. "Cleanliness is next to godliness." That is also an English proverb.
- Keep yourself always healthy because you have to work so much for Krishna, and whenever you feel some difficulty, you may immediately inform me.
- We have to accept economic development so far as we keep our body and soul together, fit for Krsna consciousness. We do not recommend that unnecessarily you should give trouble to the body.
Upholding the Standard of Temple Worship
The temple is an embassy of the spiritual world, and its atmosphere must remain totally sanctified. To invite the presence of the Lord, the devotees must adhere strictly to the pañcarātrikī-vidhi (the rules of temple worship). He mandated that immaculate cleanliness, timely offerings, and prompt execution of duties are essential to keep the center pure and the devotees safe from falldown.
- Always keep to this high standard of Deity worship, never become neglectful. Everything must be done very timely, and the temple must be immaculately cleansed daily. These things, cleanliness and promptness, are the most important points for Deity worship.
- The Deity worship program is meant for us to keep us safe. If we neglect Deity worship, we shall also fall.
- Without temple worship, you cannot keep yourself pure and clean. The two things must go on, parallel. Then there is success.
- Although chanting is quite sufficient to cover all the Biddhis, still to keep ourselves pure and sanctified, we must observe the rules and regulations of Pancaratriki Biddhi.
- Keep this institution pure, not that we have to make it impure. We don't want to introduce impure. That should be a principle.
Keeping Strong for the Preaching Mission
Preaching is a direct confrontation with the atheistic elements of Kali-yuga. To be victorious, a preacher must possess immense spiritual stamina. Śrīla Prabhupāda assured his leaders that if they kept themselves strictly connected to the paramparā by following the rules and reading the books daily, their words would carry absolute potency, ensuring that their preaching work would effortlessly conquer the hearts of the public.
- The secret of preaching work is that one must keep himself fit in spiritual strength by maintaining always the highest standard of purity in Krsna consciousness.
- If you stick to the principle of following the footsteps of previous predecessor, evam parampara-praptam, don't add anything, don't subtract anything, present as it is and keep your spiritual strength intact, then the preaching will go on.
- As GBC member your task is very responsible. You must always keep yourself pure and in this way your preaching work will take effect.
- Without preaching, without understanding philosophy, you cannot keep your strength. Everyone should be thoroughly well-conversed with the philosophy which we are putting... That means you must read thoroughly every day.
- I am very glad to hear that you are keeping yourself busy preaching. Don't become a dead man. Always preach.
Conclusion
The process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is both simple and sublime, yet it demands constant vigilance. By teaching his disciples exactly how to keep themselves physically fit, mentally absorbed, and spiritually pure, Śrīla Prabhupāda provided them with an impenetrable armor against the material energy. As long as his followers enthusiastically maintain these strict standards of personal and temple purity, they will remain forever safe in the brilliant light of devotional service.
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 Keeping Ourselves (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.