Prabhupada lila

[Guest guest]

Mr Mathews, the Harvard graduate student of Vaisnavism, visited

Prabhupada at his apartment one evening. Prabhupada explained that if one is

inquisitive not about temporary things but about the Absolute, then he must

go to a guru. Mr Mathews asked whether sannyasa was necessary.

 

According to Bhagavad gita, Prabhupada replied, a sannyasi is one who has

given everything to the service of Krsna. The dress and social standing are

not important. While Mr Mathews posed intricate questions about the

contemporary situation of spiritual masters in India, Srila Prabhupada

explained that a true spiritual master must be in disciplic succession and

must strictly follow the rules and regulations of Vaisnava behaviour. The

current family custom in India of having a family guru was foolishness. The

guru was not a family commodity or pet.

 

Mr Mathews was trying to make the point that Prabhupada was not the only

spiritual master and that there were many pure devotees in places like

Vrndavana who do not necessarily go out for preaching but who preached to

whoever came to them.

 

"Lord Chaitanya," said Srila Prabhupada, "ordered to go out and preach

Krsna consciousness. Not that I stay in Vrndavana, and if anyone comes to

me, I will teach. We must go out and go to them. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

ordered like that. He is the authority. We don't serve this or that. We

serve Krsna and nothing else:'I am a servant of Krsna.' And the best

position for preaching is sannyasa, because he doesn't have to send money to

his family or go back to the wife at a certain hour. But everything is for

Krsna. This is the attractive background for preaching. The dress is not

important."

 

Mr Mathews disagreed that a spiritual master had to be a sannyasi or a

renounced preacher. After about an hour, Mr Mathews checked his watch and

became alarmed: "Oh, my goodness. It's late. I am having guests over, and my

wife is cooking a dinner for them. I have to go."

 

"You see?" Prabhupada said. "This proves my point."

 

Srila Prabhupada Lila by Satsvarupa Das Goswami p66