Prabhupāda: . . . sarva-śāstre kaya, lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya (CC Madhya 22.54). For me, personally, I had the opportunity to talk with my spiritual master not more than ten times in my whole life. Not more. It may be less than that. But I tried to follow his instruction, that's all, although I was a gṛhastha.
Bali-mardana: You are a much better student than us.
Prabhupāda: So this is the process. That is the . . . you sing every day, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya. That is the process. Wherever you live, if you follow strictly the instruction of guru, then you remain perfect. But if we create, concoct ideas against the instruction of guru, then we are gone, hell. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi (Gurv-astaka 8). There is no more shelter—finished. Yasya prasādāt. If guru thinks that "This person, I wanted to take him back to home, back to Godhead. Now he is going against me. He is not following," aprasādāt, he is displeased. Then everything is finished.
Bali-mardana: Vaiṣṇavāparādha.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, where does someone derive his authority . . .
Prabhupāda: The guru is authority.
Devotee (1): No, I know, but for his actions other than just following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. He does so many other things during the day. Where does he derive his authority if he's not, let's say, living in the temple?
Prabhupāda: I do not follow. The authority is guru. You have accepted.
Bali-mardana: For everything.
Jayatīrtha: Say I have some outside job, I'm living outside, but I'm not giving 50% of my income. So then that work that I'm doing, is it actually under the authority of the guru?
Prabhupāda: Then you are not following the instruction of guru. That is plain fact.
Jayatīrtha: So that means that whole activity during the day, working, that means I am not following the instruction of the guru. It's unauthorized activity.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you don't follow the instruction of guru, then you are fallen down, immediately. That is the way. Otherwise why you sing, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo? It is my duty to satisfy guru. Otherwise I am nowhere. So if you prefer to be nowhere, then you disobey as you like. But if you want to be steady in your position, then you have to follow strictly the instruction of guru.
Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by reading your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn't matter; you are secure. Follow the instruction, then you are secure anywhere. It doesn't matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Mahārāja not more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a gṛhastha. I never lived with the Maṭha, in the temple. It is practical. So many Godbrothers recommended that "He should be in charge in this Bombay temple, this, that, that . . ." Guru Mahārāja said: "Yes, better he lives outside. That is good. And he will do what is needed in due course of time."
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupāda: He said like that. I could not understand at that time what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.
Yaśodānandana: I think you have done this in grand style.
Devotees: Jaya, Prabhupāda! Haribol!
Prabhupāda: Yes, done grand style because I strictly follow the instruction of my Guru Mahārāja, that's all. Otherwise I have no strength. I have not played any magic. Did I? Any gold manufacturing? (laughter) Still, I have got better disciples than the gold-manufacturing guru.
Yaśodānandana: Before you came, many gurus came, but they did not make any pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: How they can? He is not pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, how he can do? Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nāhe nāma pracāra (CC Antya 7.11): "Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa nobody can turn a person to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." It is not . . . Artificially, you cannot make. He may make show of gold manufacturing, but he cannot make a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.
Jayatīrtha: So the purpose of having in the Society is to show the devotees how they can always be twenty-four hours engaged according to your instruction.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is helping one another. If I am deficient, by seeing your example I shall correct myself. This is the idea. Not that a fool's paradise: all fools and join together. Not like that. There should be ideal life, at least the leaders, the president, the GBC. They will show the example, and they will follow. Then it is beneficial. And all of them are fools, then it is fool's paradise. At least, in the blind association, at least if one man has got eyes, then he can lead all the blind men. But if all of them are blind, then it is fool's paradise. So somehow or other, we have got now a position. People likes us. So we should not spoil by personal sense gratification. That is my request. If we can maintain this institution rigidly, according to the order, then many people will be benefited. By seeing our behavior, by character, they will become. Apani ācāri prabhu jīveri ṛṣi(?). The leader should be ideal.
Devotee (1): We should dedicate our lives to preaching this message of Lord Caitanya.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Preaching, preaching, you will become perfect preacher. Preach only what you have heard from Kṛṣṇa and guru, that's all. Don't add and subtract. Then you are secure. And if you add some concoction, just like somebody says that, "I may do whatever I like independently. If I chant, then everything is all right," this is nonsense addition. It is not the fact. That is the danger. Some inexperienced man, he introduces some concoction. Sometimes they say: "Prabhupāda said it." (laughs) More misleading.