Autumn 2005
| Stay at home |
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desaTRANSLATION
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”
PURPORT
“This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain comfortably in his residence. […] The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to elevate human society to the perfection of life by pursuing the method described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His advice to the brahmana Kurma. That is, one should stay at home, chant the Hare Krsna mantra and preach the instructions of Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. [...]
The cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explained here very nicely. One who surrenders to Him and is ready to follow Him with heart and soul does not need to change his location. Nor is it necessary for one to change his status.
One may remain a householder, a medical practitioner, an engineer or whatever. It doesn’t matter. One only has to follow the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and instruct relatives and friends in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. One has to learn humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in that way one’s life will be spiritually successful. “
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7:128, 130)
| A fool can be Guru |
“So any child can carry these words. Any foolish man can carry these words. And if you do that, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, then you become guru, simply by carrying these words. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa. Even in your village, in your home, you can say to your wife, to your children. They will accept you that “Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Then you become guru at home.”
(Darshan, December 3rd, 1976)
| A child can be Guru |
“Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu...Yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa: “You become guru. No qualification required. Simply you repeat what Krsna has said.” Just see how simplified. Don’t talk anything nonsense.
Yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna’— bas. So who cannot do it? Anyone can do it, even a child. (laughs) Our Syamasundara’s daughter. She was preaching, “Do you know Krsna?” They said, “No I have got no...” “The Supreme Personality.” This is preaching, simply if you say that “Krsna is the Supreme Personality, supreme controller. Just be obedient to Him.” Where is the difficulty? Anyone can preach. Chant Hare Krsna. Bas. Three words:
Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; surrender unto Him; and chant Hare Krsna. Your life will be successful. What is the difficulty in preaching these three words? Hm? Is there any difficulty? Even a child like Sarasvati, she can preach. […]
Very simple thing and the sublime instruction. Everyone can become guru by simply teaching these three words.”
(Room Conversation, 25th, January, 1977)
| You need NO qualification |
“But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?” There is no need of qualification. “Still I can become guru?” Yes. “How?” Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa: “Whomever you meet, you simply instruct what Krsna has said. That’s all. You become guru.”
(Lecture, May 21st, 1976)
| But don’t take disciples... |
All these, and many other, calls from Srila
Prabhupada to “become Guru”, are all repeating Lord Caitanya’s order to
“become Guru”, as stated in the amara ajnaya verse of the Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7:128.
And these calls to become simple preacher Gurus, requiring no
qualification that even a child can do it, are referring only to
becoming an instructing or siksa Guru, as the purports to this
verse from Lord Caitanya make clear:
“One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, “I am a first-class devotee.” Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept any disciples. One has to become purified at home by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and preaching the principles enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of material life.”
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7:130, purport)
| Only Srila Prabhupada is the initiating Guru |
 |
“The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor
guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing.” (Letter, August 4th, 1975) “I am the spiritual master of this institution, and all the members of the society, they’re supposed to be my disciples. They follow the rules and regulations which I ask them to follow, and they are initiated by me spiritually.” (Radio interview, March 12th, 1968) “The chanting of Hare Krsna is our main business, that is real initiation. And as you are all following my instruction, in that matter, the initiator is already there.” (Letter, August 19th, 1968) |