Prabhupāda Teaches His Disciples to Experience the Bliss of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
The path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not based on utopian speculation, but on tangible, direct realization. To assure his followers that they are practicing a perfect science, confirming that the results of devotion are immediately experienced is a profound philosophical point Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes. He teaches that anyone who strictly follows the authorized process will factually perceive transcendental bliss. Simultaneously, he calls upon his older disciples to apply their hard-earned practical experience in business, management, and preaching to systematically expand the movement and properly train the next generation.
The Direct Experience of Transcendental Bliss
Spiritual life is never an artificial imposition upon the mind; it is the joyful awakening of the soul. Promising his followers that they do not need to wait for their next life to see results, emphasizing the immediate experience of happiness is how Śrīla Prabhupāda inspires his society. He guarantees that by strictly chanting the holy names, following the regulative principles, and honoring prasādam, a devotee will directly feel themselves becoming purified from material contamination.
- Attend the arati ceremony and take prasada and work hard in the service of Krsna and you will surely experience the bliss of the perfection of life in Krsna consciousness.
- It is said that the execution of devotional service is so perfect that one can perceive the results directly. This direct result is actually perceived, and we have practical experience.
- Strictly follow the regulative principle, chant Hare Krsna at least sixteen rounds, and you'll be happy. There is no doubt about it. You can experience. It is not an imposition. Don't leave this process.
- We have practical experience that any person who is chanting the holy names of Krsna in course of time feels some transcendental pleasure and very quickly becomes purified of all material contamination. This is actually seen.
- When one is factually experiencing existence of pure spiritual service to Krsna, he enjoys fullness of eternal life full of bliss and knowledge.
Utilizing Material Experience for Kṛṣṇa
Everything in the material world, including one's past education and occupational skills, can be perfectly dovetailed in the service of the Lord. Encouraging his followers to utilize their worldly expertise, demonstrating that business acumen and organizational talents are the secret to successfully expanding the movement is the practical direction Śrīla Prabhupāda gives. He requests intelligent disciples to use their experience to construct temples, manage finances, and efficiently spread transcendental knowledge to the masses.
- I can understand that your energy and experience are being put to good use there in Australia. That is the secret to success, utilizing our God-given energy to please Krishna.
- If we become simply engaged in His preaching work, trying with whatever talent or education or experience or material advantages we have got, to spread Krishna consciousness message all over the world. That is best friend of Krishna.
- You have got good experience for managing in business world, so why not you become also expert organizer for Krishna?
- You have got sufficient experience in this connection. Now you can utilize your talent and experience in establishing a very nice temple.
- Your attempt to construct a temple from donation of life members is welcome. Also your plan to get large tax returns. Now do it cooperatively. You are intelligent and experienced - all work together there for the glory of Caitanya's sankirtana movement.
The Responsibility of Experienced Devotees
The purity of the movement must be carefully protected and transmitted to the next generation. Placing this heavy burden entirely upon his senior followers, insisting that experienced devotees take up the crucial tasks of management, Deity worship, and philosophical training is the structure Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes. He explains that the very purpose of personally training his early disciples was so they could, in turn, become expert guides within the authorized paramparā system.
- Deity worship is for old and experienced students; it is not good for new students to be given sacred thread. This Deity worship is exclusively for advanced students.
- On the whole, all you experienced and advanced students have to manage things very nicely, and if you occasionally come to me here for consultation and necessary instruction that will be easier for me and I can devote my time in finishing the books.
- Whatever you have learned - you are one of the old students - whatever you have gathered by experience, you must hand them over to the new students. This is called parampara.
- You are an old experienced devotee and I have personally trained you in so many things, so now it is your responsibility to train others otherwise what is the meaning of my training you?
- Your program for training your Godsisters is very nice, so do it nicely as you have got experience in arcana. There is no matter if there is a little change here and there - the real duty is love and devotion.
The Practical Experience of Preaching
Successfully delivering the absolute truth to a skeptical world requires deep, hands-on experience. By analyzing the results of their preaching efforts, guiding his followers on how to approach the public and properly distribute books is the expert mentorship Śrīla Prabhupāda provides. He points out that from past experience, devotees learn how to cultivate local support, safely engage with prominent public figures, and chant the holy names without offense.
- Actually we experienced this (if someone is a little inclined to chant the Hare Krsna mantra, Lord Caitanya will deliver him) when we came to preach the Hare Krsna movement in the West.
- From our experience we have found it is always in the long run more stable and better situation if local people can be persuaded to help from the very beginning.
- Our experience is that such big men will not help us - except if there is some rare soul like Mr. George Harrison, and they must be guided also by our personally contacting them again and again and slowly build-up the relationship.
- We are selling Back To Godhead through the personal approach, through the Sankirtana Party, so I expect each center to sell 50 copies daily on the average as we have practical experience here.
- We have learned from our Guru Maharaja that preaching is very, very important thing, and when one is actually an experienced preacher, then he is able to chant Hare Krsna mantra without any offense.
Seeing Through the Illusion of Material Experience
The material energy constantly attempts to convince the living entity that happiness can be found in the body, wealth, or sex life. By examining the harsh realities of the world, teaching his followers to intelligently evaluate their own material experiences is the liberating process Śrīla Prabhupāda recommends. He points out that by practically observing the inevitable miseries of bodily changes and the fleeting nature of fortune, a sober person will never be fooled by worldly illusions again.
- Anyone goes any part of the world, ask him, "Who are you?" He will say, "I am the material body. I am Mr. such and such," "I am Russian" or "I am German," "I belong to this family" and so on, "this nation" - all the body. That is our practical experience.
- Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, is called cancala. She does not remain at one place. We have got experience. Today one man is very rich; next generation is no longer rich.
- Sex life is nasty, but out of illusion we think it is nice. Now you are experienced, so don't take sex life again.
- We experience bodily changes, from embryo to child to youth to maturity to old age and to death.
- You are all innocent boys without any experience of the world. The cunning world can befool you at any time. So please be careful of the world in Krishna consciousness. When Krishna will desire the house will come to us automatically.
Experiencing Purification and Changing Hearts
The potency of the holy name is not theoretical; it radically alters the consciousness of anyone who comes in contact with it. By observing the dramatic transformations of their peers, marveling at the purifying power of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the joyous experience Śrīla Prabhupāda shares with his disciples. They gain immense practical faith by seeing how even those from the most wretched or materialistic backgrounds are quickly elevated to the platform of pure, self-controlled Vaiṣṇavas.
- Preachers in the Krsna consciousness movement have actually experienced that even the yavanas and mlecchas have taken to spiritual life on the strength of Narada Muni's pancaratrika-vidhi.
- We are getting actual experience that very nice boys coming from very respectable families do not hesitate to do any kind of work here. They are washing dishes, cleansing floors - everything.
- We are pushing on this Krsna consciousness movement, and we have got experiences, different types of men. So they can also be delivered. How? Yad-apasrayasrayah: if they associate with sadhu.
- We have practical experience in discharging our missionary activity that some people come and apply themselves to the Krsna consciousness with some hidden motive, and as soon as they are economically a little well-situated, they give up this process.
- We have practical experience of this with our students in the ISKCON. Before becoming students, they were dirty looking, although they had naturally beautiful personal features; but due to having no information of Krsna consciousness they appeared very dirty and wretched.
Conclusion
The evidence of spiritual life is directly perceived by the heart. By beautifully bridging the gap between eternal philosophy and practical reality, providing his followers with a deeply experienced faith is how Śrīla Prabhupāda anchors his worldwide society. He proves that whether a disciple is relishing the bliss of chanting or utilizing their past business skills to construct temples, everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a tangible, dynamic experience that leads unequivocally back to Godhead.
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 Experience (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.