My disciples (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"my disciple" |"my disciples"

Notes from the compiler: This page includes "my disciples" only in reference to Prabhupada and his disciples

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You are my disciple, I am your spiritual master, but you have got your individuality, I have got my individuality. If you don't agree with me, you can leave me.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa clearly says, "There was never time when I, you, and all these individual kings or soldiers... It was not that we did not exist in the past." So in the past we existed as individual, and in the present there is no doubt. We are existing as individual. You are my disciple, I am your spiritual master, but you have got your individuality, I have got my individuality. If you don't agree with me, you can leave me. That is your individuality.

If you inquire whether I am perfect or my disciples who are preaching this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, they are perfect, we may be imperfect. We are imperfect. We accept we are imperfect. But we are distributing the perfect knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

The knowledge, perfect knowledge, is coming from Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we receive that knowledge in cool head and assimilate, then our knowledge is perfect. Just like we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is perfect knowledge. If you inquire whether I am perfect or my disciples who are preaching this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, they are perfect, we may be imperfect. We are imperfect. We accept we are imperfect. But we are distributing the perfect knowledge. Kindly try to understand. We may be imperfect, but perfection means one who assimilates the perfect knowledge, he is perfect.

Is this my last body? I think so. (laughter) Not only I, all of my disciples.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Man (7): Is this your last body? If so, how do you know? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Madhudviṣa: He is asking you if this is your last body.

Prabhupāda: I think so. (laughter) Not only I, all of my disciples. They are going to... Because we are not speaking nonsense. This is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Any one who understands Kṛṣṇa factually, the result is tyaktvā deham, giving up this body, he never accepts again material body. He goes back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore, because we are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, and if by Kṛṣṇa's grace we can understand Him, then we are not again going to accept any material body. That's a fact.

So you'll find this first class, second class, third, you cannot stop it. Just like in Bombay sometimes I showed to my disciples.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

Everyone is condemned in this material world. But first-class condemned, second-class condemned, third-class condemned. So you'll find this first class, second class, third, you cannot stop it. Just like in Bombay sometimes I showed to my disciples, say in 1935. 1935 means about fifty years ago. Fifty years ago when I was in Bombay, that time I was doing some business. So a class of men, they were living on footpath. Their home (is) on the footpath. They have got a box or a bag and lying on the footpath and eating on the footpath, their, everything on the footpath. Now the same class of men are still there. Now economically, fifty years ago, the value of money was greater. At that time, fifty years ago we were purchasing, say ghee, at most one rupee per kilo. So now you cannot get first class ghee unless you pay twenty-five rupees per kilo. So the value of money has decreased. So that means, in other words people are getting more money. Formerly, one servant was engaged, ten rupees or twelve rupees per month. Now you cannot get a servant unless you pay one hundred rupees. So in that comparison, everyone is getting more money, but still the condition is the same.

I don't accept any consciousness of America. And I teach my disciples also to take to that consciousness. So one who takes to that consciousness, he is also not in America, not in this world.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Jaya-gopāla: I thought I heard it said that you are in this world without being a part of it. You are in the world without being a part of it, being a part of it, like the lotus flower which floats on the water.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the way. That is the way of understanding. Just like I am in America. It is very easy to understand. I am not adopting any ways of life as the Americans do. So I am not in America. Not only myself, all my disciples who are following me, they are also not Americans. They're different from American behavior, American ways of life. In that sense I'm not in America. I am in Vṛndāvana because wherever I go in my apartment or in my temple I live with Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I don't accept any consciousness of America. And I teach my disciples also to take to that consciousness. So one who takes to that consciousness, he is also not in America, not in this world.

Just like I have spoken something to my disciple. He says the same thing to his disciple. He says the same thing to his disciple. But some way or other, if it is distorted at a certain point, then the knowledge is lost.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Therefore one has to learn this science from the paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). You have to go to the right person who knows Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā... Just like Sūrya, the Vivasvān, he was instructed by Kṛṣṇa. So if you take instruction from Vivasvān, from the sun-god, then you get the perfect knowledge. But you cannot go to the sun planet and ask Vivasvān, "What Kṛṣṇa spoke to you?" Therefore Vivasvān transferred the knowledge to his son, Manu. This age is called Vaivasvata Manu, this age. Now, Vivasvān, because he's the son of Vivasvān, therefore this Manu is called Vaivasvata Manu. Vaivasvata Manu. Now the age is going of Vaivasvata Manu. Manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. So Manu also spoke to his son. So in this way, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), He's giving some examples, but the knowledge has to be received by the paramparā. But some way or other, the paramparā being lost... Just like I have spoken something to my disciple. He says the same thing to his disciple. He says the same thing to his disciple. But some way or other, if it is distorted at a certain point, then the knowledge is lost. As soon as any of the disciples in the succession distort the knowledge, then it is lost. That is being explained.

In the system it is enjoined that the spiritual master also observe the disciple at least for one year, and the disciple also studies the spiritual master at least for one year. So when both of them are convinced that "He can be my spiritual master" or "He can be my disciple," then the relationship is established.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Suppose you are going here. You are coming here to learn something. When you are convinced that "Swamiji knows the thing," when you are convinced, then you accept. Then you ask for initiation. Otherwise don't do it hesitatingly or knowing half. Therefore in the system it is enjoined that the spiritual master also observe the disciple at least for one year, and the disciple also studies the spiritual master at least for one year. So when both of them are convinced that "He can be my spiritual master" or "He can be my disciple," then the relationship is established. We initiate our students. The preliminary initiation is offering chanting. Then we observe at least for one year, how he is chanting, how he is doing. Then the second initiation confirms. That is the system.

Suppose my students, they have got relationship with me. I am their teacher, they are my disciples. Or if you are not my disciple then you are audience, I am speaker. Must be there some relationship.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

Anything, whatever you have got in your possession, you have got some particular relationship. Suppose you are Americans, we are Indian. So we have got some particular relationship with the state. I am Indian citizen, you are American citizen. So relationship must be there. You are sitting here. There is some relationship. Suppose my students, they have got relationship with me. I am their teacher, they are my disciples. Or if you are not my disciple then you are audience, I am speaker. Must be there some relationship. So similarly, if with everything we have got some relationship, why not with God? There is. That is practical relationship, but we have forgotten.