Srila Prabhupada Training Disciples - as disciples

As a well-wishing teacher, guide, and guru, Srila Prabhupada constantly trained students to progress to more mature stages of discipleship. His numerous instructions were recorded in his books, letters, lectures, and conversations. After many years of thematically mapping those instructions, Vanipedia now offers these introductory articles showing the training Srila Prabhupada personally imparted to his disciples. A delightful presentation of his instructions to Disciples is found within this Vaniquotes category - My Disciples (Prabhupada).

An introduction is given below in the following 10 quotes.

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Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's teachings

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By the grace of Krishna we have got sufficient properties all over the world, so there cannot be any diplomacy or conspiracy by any sane man. All these properties and opulences, whatever we have got, this will not go with me when I go away from this world. It will remain here. I am training some of my experienced disciples how to manage after my departure. (Letter, 8 October 1974, Mayapur)

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I am surprised that such bogus letters have come from parties claiming to belong to our centers. Our disciple Krishna das is in Germany, not in Montreal. Anyway, such irresponsible letters dispatched from our temples must be stopped immediately. I shall be glad to hear from you about this by return of post. If somebody is unauthorizedly using our stationeries and writing letters to responsible quarters, with no sanction from us, then such persons must be avoided. (Letter, 16 October 1969, Tittenhurst)

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So things should be handled very carefully because everyone engaged in Krishna's service should be given a chance to exercise this transcendental business very nicely. I am getting older and the 76th anniversary of my birth observed by my disciples means that I am getting older. Naturally my health does not allow me to work very hard but still I am working as hard as possible to advance this mission and I request all my disciples to give their full cooperation in this great task. (Letter, 14 August 1971, London)

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I am sure if you all my beloved disciples combined together try to preach Krishna Consciousness in this spirit, Krishna will give the necessary strength. By the Grace of Krishna and the Spiritual Master, the dumb man can speak like a great orator, and a lame man can cross over a great mountain. So we must have the necessary unflinching faith in Krishna and Spiritual Master, and the strength will be supplied by Krishna. (Letter, 28 September 1968, Seattle)

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I am sorry to see that you have so many quarrels with my disciples. They are working very hard on my behalf trying to serve Krsna. Why not try to cooperate with them, instead of trying to get them to cooperate with you. I understand you are older, but then please just try to be tolerant and help in whatever way you can. Krsna will see your sincere desire, and if He wants you will be recognized and if not, there is nothing you can do to force it. (Letter, 2 November 1976, Vrindavan)

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I beg to inform you of one matter which may be of interest to you, namely that we have now got thousands of disciples and well-wishers in the Western countries and out of them many are desiring to travel to India in the near future, at least 200 persons at a time, to see all the temples, especially the Vaisnava temples. So Air India has got a cheap round-trip fare to India and we want to take advantage and bring hundreds of members of our society and others to see all of the temples, so what will be the arrangements. (Letter, 18 September 1972, Los Angeles)

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Regarding taking sannyasa, this mentality that either I will have sex life or I will take sannyasa, this is not proper. Sannyasa means that one is finished with material life. So you have gotten married and you are in family life. So you should remain there. So you thought that by getting married you would expand your service. So you should do that. Actually all my disciples are sannyasis because they have surrendered everything in the service of Krsna. (Letter, 21 November 1975, Bombay)

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So far as we are concerned, Gaudiya Vaisnavas, we offer all our gratefulness to the Spiritual Master on His Appearance Day Ceremony, called Vyasa Puja. So kirtana is our daily function; whatever you have done is all right, but actual worship of the Spiritual Master will be done by all of my disciples on the fifth day of September, just one day after Janmastami. (Letter, 2 August 1969, Los Angeles)

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Regarding utilizing intelligence in devotional service, intelligence should be confirmed by the Spiritual Master. Therefore we accept the Spiritual Master for guidance. You should not depend on your own intelligence. Just like a child requires a parent to tell him the correct thing to do, similarly, a strict disciple should always use his intelligence in conformity with the instructions of the Spiritual Master. (Letter, 13 February 1969, Los Angeles)

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A qualified disciple increases the importance of the Spiritual Master. So I find in you some good qualities. You think yourself as very humble but you appreciate the services of your God-brothers and I am very much pleased on your such behavior. I have received the news cutting. This is also very nice attempt, and by your sincere endeavor you have now got a nice house to stay free of charges till it is sold. So all this encourages me that you are doing your best, and Krishna will bless you for your noble attempt. (Letter, 15 November 1968, Los Angeles)

Srila Prabhupada's instructions to Disciples - explore more within this category.

Vanipedia has now over 458 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's teachings from the series Srila Prabhupada Training Disciples. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the many various kinds of instructions given by Srila Prabhupada to his disciples. - There is a subject for everyone.

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