Many of my disciples

Expressions researched:
"many of my disciples"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

I have got so many of my disciples married, and they are living very happily. This girl is married. Formerly, they were living with girlfriend, boyfriend. I don't allow that. I don't allow that.

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Journalist: Let me ask you something that we've run into a great deal just recently. We've just started a youth supplement for kids. And one of the most... What should I say? That particular thing which provides perhaps the biggest schism between man's, or at least American man's and woman's love of God or the following of the Ten Commandments, is the problem, how shall I put it, well, the sexual problem. We here in this country are taught, and we have the Puritan background, that sex is a bad thing. And hopefully we're coming out of it, but when young people, a person reaches the age of puberty... Here in this country, I don't know from other countries. He begins to have a terrible, obviously a terrible problem. Now I'm stating something that's obvious. We've all gone through this. But it seems that is has been impossible for the western churches to give to the young people something to hold on to so that they can understand number one that what they're feeling is a normal beautiful thing, and number two, how to cope with it. And there is nothing in western culture that teaches or helps a young person to cope with this thing that is a very, very difficult problem. And I went through it. We all have. Now do you in your message, give the young people something to hold...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Journalist: ...to hang onto, and if so, what?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes I give.

Journalist: What?

Prabhupāda: I ask all my disciples to get married. I don't allow these boys living with boyfriend, girlfriend. No. You must get yourself married, life like gentlemen, treat your wife as assistant, treat your husband as your provider. In this way, I am teaching them. This boy was married just four days before. He is professor. So I have got so many of my disciples married, and they are living very happily. This girl is married. Formerly, they were living with girlfriend, boyfriend. I don't allow that. I don't allow that.

Journalist: Well, let's... Let me get a little more basic. How about when someone is fourteen, fifteen, sixteen years old?

Prabhupāda: The same thing. Of course, another thing is that we teach our boys to become brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means how to lead the life of celibacy.

Journalist: Hm?

Prabhupāda: Just Howard explain brahmacārī life.

Journalist: Yes, I understand.

Hayagrīva: Well, it's control of the senses, and he teaches us how to control the senses. Generally, marriage doesn't take place until a boy is about 22, 23, 25.

Journalist: You mean in his culture.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We select girl, say, about 16, 17 years old, and boys not more than 24 years old. I get them married. You see? And because their attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have very little interest simply for sex life. You see? They have got better engagement. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). You see? We give substitute. We simply don't say that "You don't do it," but we give something better. You see? Then automatically the "don't" automatically comes. You see?

1968 Correspondence

The first thing is that many of my disciples are always ready to go to India, but I do not encourage them to go there at the present moment because practically we have no organized branch there.

Letter to Harivilasa -- Montreal 25 July, 1968:

In your letter under reply, I find that you are now anxious to return to the USA. I do not think that you will be more serviceable in the USA than in India; I think if you try to remain in India in fixed up mind, you can do greater service to Krishna. The first thing is that many of my disciples are always ready to go to India, but I do not encourage them to go there at the present moment because practically we have no organized branch there. Acyutananda has formally opened a branch in Delhi, c/o Radha Press, but I do not think it is acting very nicely. Because you are not combined. If you combine together there, following my instructions, you can develop a branch in India anywhere very nicely. How to do it, that I shall give you instructions. You have simply to carry out my instructions in that respect. But at the present moment you are not prepared to follow my instructions. You are simply visiting different places, for sight seeing recreation. This sort of service is not accepted by Krishna. You are thinking of coming back to USA because your sight seeing business is now finished. But now you should think what service you have rendered to Krishna by going to India. Sometimes back, when you were in Navadvipa, I asked you to send some mrdangas, but you declined to execute the order. I asked you also to develop one asrama at Mayapur, that also you declined. Similarly, Acyutananda was bent on opening a center at Kanpur, and the result is that instead of opening a center, there, he has lost two typewriters, taken away by force by some rogue there.

1969 Correspondence

I wish that many of my disciples may become expert preachers so they may assist more and more in the great preaching work that we have to do for the benefit of mankind.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Columbus, Ohio 15 May, 1969:

You have written to say that you are still having problems in obtaining manpower for your business, and the only solution I can think of is that you engage outsiders to do this work. If you think you have a scarcity of money, then I can return the check to you, and you can utilize it. As I have mentioned in my letter to Brahmananda, I do not know how I can solve all of these departmental problems if they are all referred to me. It would be better if the department heads could work out such things amongst themselves. Today Kirtanananda Swami has left for North Carolina to take my place in lecturing there at two college engagements. This is very satisfying to me, and I wish that many of my disciples may become expert preachers so they may assist more and more in the great preaching work that we have to do for the benefit of mankind.

1971 Correspondence

Why take bad examples; there are so many good examples to be taken. I have gotten married so many of my disciples. Gurudasa, Tamala, there are so many living peacefully. If someone has deserted, then he is wrong and not the example.

Letter to Umapati -- Los Angeles 9 July, 1971:

You have complained about those devotees who have mistreated their wives and children, but that is not the example. Those who have deserted this movement are not the example. So why are you citing them as example? There are so many devotees like Dayananda, Syamasundara., Hayagriva and others who are living with their wife and children very peacefully. There are so many. So why take bad examples; there are so many good examples to be taken. I have gotten married so many of my disciples. Gurudasa, Tamala, there are so many living peacefully. If someone has deserted, then he is wrong and not the example.