Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as Prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position

Expressions researched:
Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as Prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position

1969 Correspondence

For the present moment, nobody can claim an extra honor from his Godbrothers. Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as Prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 30 August, 1969: I do not know what you mean by cooperation with Kirtanananda Maharaja. In our society everyone, either a brahmacari or sannyasi or grhastha, who has dedicated his life and soul for this movement, they are all on the same level of sannyasi. For the present moment, nobody can claim an extra honor from his Godbrothers. Everyone should treat his Godbrothers as Prabhu. But nobody should try to claim any extra honor on account of an official position. I do not know why Kirtanananda Maharaja says that his authority overrides yours. At the present moment everyone is working under my authority. Similarly, Kirtanananda also should work under my authority. So the condition imposed by Kirtanananda as stated by you does not look well. A sannyasi has got four stages of elevation: kuticak, bahudaka, parivrajaka and paramahamsa. The sannyasa in the paramahamsa stage is the Spiritual Master of everyone. I have asked Kirtanananda Maharaja to work on the bahudaka stage for the present. I discussed this point with him when I was in New Vrindaban. This stage means he should move amongst people to draw their attention to the New Vrindaban scheme and try to attract their attention for its development. So he should immediately begin this bahudaka program and collect money from outsiders, not from insiders. And as he is in charge of New Vrindaban, he may invest all such collection for the development of New Vrindaban, and before this Hayagriva must transfer the property to the society's name. So far as investment of the society's money for New Vrindaban is concerned, certainly it will be done in New Vrindaban, and not only the money which Kirtanananda Maharaja collects, but also, if need be, any center will invest money. But that investment should be in proportion to food and salt. To make it more tasteful, one adds salt to his food, and similarly, every center should be independently developed by supplying the food, and the society, if required, will supply the salt. For the present, all energy should be diverted to start a nice press for our publication work. So there is no extra money for the society to invest in New Vrindaban. Neither you can spare any money to anyone without my permission. Whatever you possess now in funds, that is not your personal money, so how can you execute the request of Kirtanananda at the present moment? I think you will understand the matter rightly and do the needful.