Varnasrama College Diary

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Varnasrama College Diary

By Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

 

 

On leadership at the Varnasrama College

 

Leadership at the Varnasrama College is very important for as it is said in

the Bhagavad-gita:

 

"Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever

standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." -Bg. 3.21

 

The policy at the college is for the leaders to chant their rounds in the

temple, for whatever a leader does, others will follow. And Srila

Prabhupada very much wanted that the devotees chant their rounds in the

temple and not outside.

 

Brahmananda: I think sometimes we recommend the devotees to chant their

rounds in the temple rather than walk in other places.

Prabhupada: Why one should walk other places? Who has said that you go out,

walk other places? Never said.

Devotee (7): It may not really be necessary.

Prabhupada: No. You should chant in the temple. Why should you go to other

place?

Devotee (7): So there is no difference someone chanting out of the temple,

in the temple.

Prabhupada: Why you should go outside? Who has allowed him to go outside?

Unless he has got some important business for the temple, why one should go

to outside? There is no need. That is the chance of falling down. Why you

should go outside? We are arranging for the temple, for the food. Why?

Because everyone should stick to the temple and the principles. Why you

should go to outside? That should be stopped. You cannot go outside.

Devotee (7): May we go to the shop to buy something?

Prabhupada: That is another thing. That is for temple's benefit or business.

That is another thing. Somebody goes to sell books, somebody goes to make

some life members. That is another thing. Otherwise one is not allowed at

all. Not whimsically "I am going out." Why you are spoiling your men?

Devotee (9): Prabhupada, sometimes I've seen devotees say that they did not

like to chant in the temple room with the opposite...

Prabhupada: Then that is a rascal. He is not a devotee. He is a rascal, when

a devotee says... How you become devoted? If he does not like the temple and

he thinks to be happy outside, what is he? What kind of devotee he is? He is

not a devotee.

Devotee (9): What I meant to say is he does not want to chant with women in

the temple room. I have seen this before. He says, "I do not want to chant

in a room with women. I would rather be away from the women."

Prabhupada: That means he has got distinction between men and women. He is

not yet pandit. Panditah sama-darsinaù [bg. 5.18]. He is a fool. That's all.

He is a fool. So what is the value of his words? He is a fool…He should

always consider, "There is woman, that's all. She is my mother." That's all.

Matrvat para-daresu. Then what is the...? Suppose you sit down with your

mother and chant. What is the wrong? But he is not so strong; then he should

go to the forest. Why he should live in the Nairobi city? On the street

there are so many women. He will walk on the street closing the eyes?

(laughter) This is all rascaldom. They are rascals. They are not devotees,

simply rascals." --Morning walk Nov 2, 1975