Devotee: Should we chant?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can. What is that? Take it. Chant. Authority, it is accepted like that. Because our authorities whom we are accepting, they have accepted . . . mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of other authorities. Leadership. In every society they are accepting leadership. So in that way you have to accept authority. There is no other process.
Man (7): No. Change is good wherever it's necessary, but according to . . .
Prabhupāda: Authority . . . everywhere authority is there. You have to accept authority. Without authority there is no, I mean to say, advancement. That is impossible. Now you have to select your authority. That is a different thing. But you have to accept the authority. In every society there is leadership, there is authority. So people accept it, and that is the way. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. That is stated that, "We have to follow the footprints of the authorities."
Now, the next question will be whether you will accept this man as authority or that man authority. That is a different question. But if you want to advance, you have to . . . just like even in the crossing, you ask the police authority, "Whether I shall go this way or that way?" Authority is to be accepted, because we are not independent. So you may select a different kind of authority. That is your selection. But authority you have to, even if he is wrong. Without that, you cannot make progress.