There are hundreds of anecdotes described by his biographers which we do not think it meet here to reproduce. Mahāprabhu slept short. His sentiments carried him far and wide in the firmament of spirituality every day and night, and all his admirers and followers watched him throughout. He worshiped, communicated with his missionaries at Vṛndāvana, and conversed with those religious men who newly came to visit him. He sang and danced, took no care of himself and oft-times lost himself in religious beatitude. All who came to him believed in him as the all-beautiful God appearing in the nether world for the benefit of mankind. He loved his mother all along and sent her mahāprasāda now and then with those who went to Nadia. He was most amiable in nature.
Missionaries
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The Lord desires the conditioned souls hovering in the material creation to be reclaimed to go back home, back to Godhead, and thus He helps them by preparing the transcendental literatures like the Vedas, by sending missionaries of saints and sages and by deputing His representative, the spiritual master. Such transcendental literatures, missionaries and representatives of the Lord are spotlessly white because the contamination of the material qualities cannot even touch them. They are always protected by the Lord when they are threatened with annihilation. Such foolish threats are made by the gross materialists. The brahmāstra, which was thrown by Aśvatthāmā at the child Parīkṣit, was certainly supernaturally powerful, and nothing of the material world could resist its force of penetration. But the all-powerful Lord, who is present everywhere, within and without, could counteract it by His all-powerful potency just to save a bona fide servant of the Lord and descendant of another devotee, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, who was always obliged by the Lord by His causeless mercy.
SB Canto 7
One should focus upon the destination for progress, which is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the aim and end of all varṇas and āśramas. However, if Viṣṇu is not worshiped, the followers of the varṇāśrama institution manufacture some concocted God. Thus it has now become fashionable for any rascal or fool to be elected God, and there are many missionaries who have concocted their own gods, giving up their relationship with the real God. In Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that one who worships the demigods has lost his intelligence. Nonetheless we find that even an illiterate person who has lost all intelligence is elected God, and although he has a temple, it has meat-eating sannyāsīs, and many polluted activities go on there. This type of religious system, which misguides its poor followers, is strictly forbidden. Such pretentious religions should be stopped altogether.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
But this whole world is going on under this misunderstanding. I am thinking "I am Indian and you are American. Why you have come in our country? You must be CIA. You must be CIA. Why you have come to our country? Formerly the Britishers also sent missionaries and then gradually conquered, got hold of the government. Similarly, these Americans, they have also come as devotee, as CIA, and therefore their business is how to capture the government. So get out." Why this misunderstanding? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness any gentleman, any sane man can understand that if these people are CIA, they have taken this Vaiṣṇava religion. They're practically having no comfort and everything is denied and no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no drinking, no intoxication, no gam... All no's, and accepting all no's, and they have come here as CIA? They have got no intelligence, common intelligence.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
There are many couples here. They are married. I got them married. Sometimes I am criticized by my godbrothers. But they do not know why I got them married. Here is a couple, Gurudāsa and his wife, Yamunā, and where is Mālatī? Mālatī's not here? Eh? Mālatī and her husband, Śyāmasundara. And another couple, Jānakī and Mukunda. I sent them first, missionary to London to start the temple. And for one year, they struggled very hard and they called me that "I started the temple." So my Guru Mahārāja wanted to start a temple in London. He sent two sannyāsīs but it was not possible. But these gṛhasthas, they started. So we want to see that the mission is fulfilled. It doesn't matter whether he's a gṛhastha or sannyāsī. Kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya. So by getting them married, I am benefited. They have helped me.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Therefore he says that "I am a lame man." Mama manda-gatī: "I am very slow, so I take shelter of the lotus feet of Madana-mohana." That is our business. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching all over the world this philosophy, that your first and foremost business is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no question of so-called economic development, sense gratification. No. These are not important things. There are many missionaries, they open hospitals or similar philanthropic activities, but we never do that. So many friends advised me to open some hospitals, dispensaries. Oh, I flatly said that "We are not interested in the hospitals." There are so many hospitals. So people who are interested in hospitals, they can go there. Here is spiritual hospital. The disease is the other hospitals, they cannot stop death, but our hospital can stop death.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He's teaching how to approach Kṛṣṇa. And His disciples, they are also teaching the same philosophy. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's philosophy and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. It is not that we can manufacture some philosophy. That is nonsense. Philosophy is one; religion is one. Everyone has to follow. There is no second alternative. That is the preaching about... Mām ekam, not that "Whatever you like, you can do." No, that is not. Mām ekam—simply Kṛṣṇa. There are some missionaries. They say that you can manufacture in your..., your own way of worship, and whatever you accept, that is all right. These bogus things are not accepted by the ācāryas. Mām ekam, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). If you want to understand what is Bhagavān, that is Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān... Religion means to understand Bhagavān. The other day we were consulting dictionary? Religion means the process by which we can understand the supreme controller.
General Lectures
So anyway, apart from their business, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is especially meant for awakening the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness of every man. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone. Otherwise how these European, American young men, young girls, children, they are taking part in it? It is not that I have bribed them. Sometimes the Christian missionaries go to our country. They bribe the poorer classes of men, and they become Christians—not by understanding the philosophy or the religion. Because India is poverty-stricken, so if you do some social work, give them some medicine, give them some financial help, they think of, being obliged, and whatever you like, you can tell them. Similarly, in Muhammadan time also, all the Indian Muhammadans, they were not coming from very respectable high family. You know, in India there are four classes of men: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Out of them, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya are considered the topmost class. Now everything has deteriorated.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: If you stop playing, then he will be dull, he'll be diseased. But you must give him good engagement. Just like DDD, he stopped playing. He was worshiping Jagannātha, and he said, "It is māyā." He stopped. Just like your daughter, when she is engaged in worshiping Deity, she is engladdened. So give good engagement, good willing, and he will automatically give up all this nonsense bad willing. But if you want to stop artificially willing, that will be not possible. That you can stop for the time, but it will again act.
Śyāmasundara: So you go through so much trouble...
Prabhupāda: Therefore the Māyāvādī philosophers, the impersonalists, because they are not willing to serve Kṛṣṇa, they stop willing. They again fall down. Vivekananda comes and opens hospitals. Just like your Christian missionaries. Yes. This is there. Willing, you cannot stop. You have to will badly or goodly, or godly. So better try to will godly, then badly will automatically... This is our process. You don't stop willing. Yes, we will—or Kṛṣṇa's service.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Oh yes. My father trained me from childhood, yes. And then I met my spiritual master in 1922, and I was initiated in... On the whole there was a background, because as I told you, 80, 90 percent people are Kṛṣṇa conscious by family-wise. You see? So we were trained up from the beginning of our life. Officially, of course, I accepted my spiritual master in 1933. Since then, I had some background, and since I met, I developed this idea. Yes.
Journalist: I see, I see. So you have been, in a sense, spreading this word since 1933 on your own.
Prabhupāda: No. I'm spreading as missionary since nineteen hundred..., practically since '59.
Journalist: '59, I see. What did you do from the time...
Prabhupāda: I was a householder. I was doing business in medicine. Formerly, I was manager in a big chemical firm. But I was cultivating this knowledge although I was householder. I was publishing this Back to Godhead...
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Oh, Yes. In Calcutta, there are two colleges, Presidency College and Scottish Churches College. All respectable families, son will go there, Scottish Churches College, Presidency College.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They started almost at the same time?
Prabhupāda: No, no. It is very old. Presidency College is government, and Scottish Churches College, by the Scottish Church missionaries. There was one priest, Duff, his name was Duff. He started in Srirampur, a small educational institute, Duff Institute. He was a Scotsman. Later on, all the Scottish missionaries combined together and they started this Scottish Churches College.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Because Vivekananda said, "Oh, what is the harm there, in eating? You can eat whatever you like. It doesn't matter in religion." It was the first. And he himself was eating anything. So all the Ramakrishna mission sannyāsīs still, they are eating meat, egg and everything, especially in America. Yes. Fish is no consideration. That is daily affair. And the turkey,... Yes. Instead of preaching here, they have taken the Western method. And Vivekananda's preaching is like Western missionaries-open hospitals, school...
Prabhupāda: Anyway, in whatever way you can help. This is a difficulty for me, that there are chasing after our men.
Ambassador: I personally think that there is not much reason to... Because we are allowing...
Prabhupāda: There is no reason at all.
Ambassador: And this is the... Hypocritical.
Prabhupāda: If, if they're giving missionary visa to the Christian missionaries, what we have done? So kindly be seriously thinking and, if possible, give us. So he'll go in the afternoon and see him. If he's able, then we can send some men. And many men, they're prepared to go to India. But this botheration. They'll go, after spending so much money, and they'll be chased. That has become a problem. Otherwise I have told some years ago that "Sometimes you'll have to import brāhmaṇas from this place."
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Pañcadraviḍa: Then if you have love of God, then we are also spreading this consciousness of love of God all over the whole world to people who have not developed that love, then you should willingly engage yourself in supporting this work.
Prabhupāda: "But we are also preaching." Mohammedans will say, "We preaching. We take also sword sometimes. If he does not believe in God, we cut his throat." The Christian missionaries, they will also say that "We are also going on all over the world. We have made so many big church."
Pañcadraviḍa: We have also got our work, and we show them...
Prabhupāda: No, no. How do you say that you are better than him? If they are also doing, it may be difference of degrees, but we are also doing the same thing.
Prabhupāda: America is a big place, three thousand miles, square miles. So I don't think any temple has been erected in New York.
Minister: No, it is proposed to.
Prabhupāda: Temple... Just like these Christian missionaries, they constructed so many churches. But those churches are now being closed. In London, I have got specific knowledge, hundreds of churches are no more being used as church. Some of them are being used as go-down. And some of the churches have been purchased by other religious sect. We have purchased one church in Los Angeles. So opening temple is good but who will maintain the spirit of temple worship?
Minister: That is by (Hindi).
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Therefore there must be side by side propaganda who can maintain the temples. (Hindi) Oh, this is anna-prasāda, so I will take later on.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: ...Christian missionaries. They are trying to convert others, but they are closing their churches. They are selling their churches to us.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Finding new suckers. In South Africa they put up big paṇḍāls, and because the Indian people, they have no entertainment in the evening, so they go there and they are entertained, and they learn how to sing the hymns that they have. Then you find that the children are singing the hymns because that's the songs that they're learning. If we can provide entertainment like that in the form of saṅkīrtana, then they'll also sing Hare Kṛṣṇa and become devotees of Kṛṣṇa. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...own Christian priests, they asked me that "Why Christianity is dwindling? What we have done?" So I told them, "What you have not done?" (laughter)
Cyavana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: "You have violated from the very beginning the orders of Christ, 'Thou shall not kill,' and you are killing, only killing. So what you have not done?"
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: And as soon as you say that you have not understood it, therefore you have not understood Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand, just like Māyāvādīs, they do not understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore they do not understand Brahman also. And therefore they fall down, because they have not understood either Brahman or Kṛṣṇa. Patanty adhaḥ. This is stated in the śāstra. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, because they have not understood Kṛṣṇa, even they have gone up to the Brahman, they cannot stand there; they fall down. Again they come to the material world. The Māyāvādīs, they say, brahma satyma jagan mithyā, "Brahman is truth, and this material world is false." They take sannyāsa, but after some time they fall down, again take to other businesses than Brahman in the material world. Just like our Vivekananda. He came to the Western countries to preach Vedānta, and he has advertised that "Whole America has become Vedantist." The proof of Vedānta is when he returned to India he became very enthusiastic to open hospitals like the Christian missionaries. So if the material world is false, so why he's trying to open hospitals? Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagat is mithyā. So why in the mithyā platform he's taking credit by opening hospitals?
Prabhupāda: The smaller one from France and the bigger one from America. International.
Indian man: And their parents also there.
Prabhupāda: They are also here. We are a society, so the gṛhasthas are there, brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, vānaprastha. All status of life. Missionaries, they have got only sannyāsīs. We have got all.
Indian man: The other missionaries?
Prabhupāda: Just like Ramakrishna Mission. They have got only sannyāsīs. No gṛhasthas. But we have got gṛhasthas also.
Prabhupāda: I say any religious stamp, material, there is no benefit. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). You have to give up all these designations. And bhakti, love of Godhead, or service to God, begins when you are relieved from these designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When becoming God conscious, you become completely purified, then your devotional life begins. And so long you are entangled with this designation, there is no question of devotional service. Either you Hindu or Muslim or Christian, it doesn't matter. So our business is not that, that we convert a Hindu to a Christian or a Christian to a Hindu. That is not our business. They are thinking, because we dress like that, with tilaka, with māla, they think Hindu. But it's not our business to convert the Christians to become Hindus, as all other missionaries, they are doing. They are trying to increasing the number of Christian or Hindus. So our... There is no question of increasing. It is very difficult to accept.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So why do you make...? Who...? Who do you mean by "we"? It is, everything, belonging to Kṛṣṇa. You have plundered Kṛṣṇa's property. You won't allow others to come in. The Chinese, the Indians, they are congested. Why? What do you mean by "we"? It is your father's property? You have stolen Kṛṣṇa's property.
Gurukṛpa: One may say, "But I myself work hard. Should I support the man who is lazy, doing nothing? Some are lazy. Should I work hard?"
Prabhupāda: Well, that is... If you are humanitarian, you are working for humanity, and why don't you teach them? Why do you not give the opportunity. What is the missionary? You have got so many missionaries. Why don't you feed them by giving them opportunity. They want. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). That is Vaiṣṇava. Engage everything, everyone, to good work. That is missionary. "We, you..." There is no such question, "we." We combining together, that is "we." We are all Kṛṣṇa's sons. Harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Their whole philosophy is... Oh, it is very nice beach. All mango trees... Don't think in national terms. That is very heinous.
Prabhupāda: So nasty. You come here. (break) Vivekananda, so on, so on, so on, so on... If I had been in political power, I would have killed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hanged.
Prabhupāda: No, hanged. They are not guru. They are not missionaries. They do not know. They have no knowledge. And missionaries? You see? The so-called politicians, philosopher, religionists, rascals, distorting the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā. And yato mata tato patha. And "I like. Whatever I like, I can speak, and that is supported." What is this? Chaotic condition. There is no standard. We are giving the standard, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. And Gandhi said, "Oh, how can I stop cow-killing? It is their religion." Just see. Such a rascal. "My religion is to kill others, and it should be supported by the government." Such a foolish man, they are on the government power. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, did he consider that? "So you are killing cow? You must be killed." That's all. Life for life. "It is my religion, sir." "Then get out here! Get out of my kingdom! Perform your religion outside." This is king. This is government. He said like that, Kali. You know?
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
The word "Hindu" is somewhat foreign according to India's spiritual or cultural conception. The exact word used for this purpose is "Sanatanam" or the eternal. Sri "Bhagavad-gita" gives us the message that "Sanatana" religion is meant not only for the "Hindus," the Indians or all the humanity at large but also for all living beings on earth.
It is wrong to interpret that Vedic religion (commonly known as "Hinduism") is not proselytistic. The proselytizing method of "Bhagavad-gita" is to turn the face of all mundaners towards the transcendental service of the Absolute Personality of Godhead "Sri Krishna" which process can only save them (the mundaners) from all calamities past present and future.
The present Godless civilization has to be remoulded into Godly one and for this purpose all missionaries (Hindu or non-Hindu) who have regard for scientific proselytizing method may join this "League of Devotees".
Simply by casual lectures there is no possibility of any tangible work but the abovementioned standard work will do impress the people what actually the Hindu culture is. I have already seen a nice house for this purpose and if you purchase that house for this purpose as your personal property and give the facility of working then you will see how the mission of Bhagavati cult is being preached here in America beginning from New York. I do not wish to disclose the names of the Hiranyakasipus here in America who are against this Bhagavata preaching. There are so many Indian missionaries like the Ramakrishna Mission, Sivananda Mission etc and all of them are against Bhagavatam culture and every one of them has refused to give facility to speak on the Bhagavati culture. Each of them have their own house but instead of worshiping the Supreme Lord they have created their own God and they try to put such manufactured gods to compete with Lord Krishna.
1968 Correspondence
I thank you very much for your kind words, and you can pray to Krishna that I may be for some time with you. That is my desire. I have no objection to death, I am old man; still I wish to live because I want to see that the mission and missionaries I have started may be still more stronger before I leave. So pray to Krishna for this.
Krishna can be known by His Mercy only as you will find in the text of the Kumaras. One thing you will mark that the Kumaras considered themselves sinful after cursing the 2 doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, and this was realized when they are fully conscious of the Supreme Lord. I have sent you one tape today. You will find the explanation there, and enjoy it. Yes, if it is possible to send carbon copies of Srimad-Bhagavatam tapes to other centers; please do so.
In the Bhagavad-gita, it is explicitly said that the worshippers of different demigods ultimately reach the planets of respective demigods; the worshippers of forefathers also go to different pitri planets, respectively; the worshippers of mammon remain in the mammonish world; and the persons in Krishna Consciousness, ultimately reach to the planet of Krishna loka. So our mission is to reach the supreme planet, in the spiritual sky, namely the Abode of Krishna. As such, we cannot compromise that all sorts of meditation gives the same result. This sort of view is practiced and preached by the impersonalist missionaries like the Rama-Krishna mission, that one may follow any path, but he reaches the same destination. There is no Vedic evidence, neither any proof of the acharya principles. You know that Lord Buddha was Hindu, born in India, in a royal family, but because He advocated voidism, His philosophy was not accepted by the leaders of Vedic principles. For the time being, Lord Buddha's philosophy was accepted by emperor Asoka, and due to royal influence, it spread all over India.
1971 Correspondence
Yes, so far as the visas are concerned, from Delhi arrangements must be made that at least 400 of my foreign disciples must remain in India to propagate the Krishna Consciousness Movement. They are my good assistants and they are missionaries also. So many Christian missionaries are working in this country. Why not Krishna Conscious missionaries? They should be given special consideration. As a missionary I was given special consideration in your country, similarly you all should be given special consideration here.
This day the whole day has been to me an anxious time because I have heard very bad news from Pakistan. In a local paper it is published that four of our Hare Krishna Movement Missionaries were killed in Dacca by the Pakistani soldiers. I am very much anxious to know about Brahmananda. I had advised Brahmananda not to go to Pakistan after the civil war began there but I am afraid that he was very daring and might have gone against my instruction. So I am very very much anxious to know about Brahmananda. The whole day has been full of anxiety and still it is going on. So if possible, inquire and let me know by telegram.
1976 Correspondence
At least visa should not be limited to three months, six months, like that. The devotees should be accepted as permanent residents on our recommendation. If it is a question of economics, then they can bring food, and cloth from abroad sufficient for themselves and others. Neither they are going to occupy big, big tracts of land for residential purposes. No, they are trained up to lay down on the floor for taking rest. Whatever is required we shall do, but let them stay. The government allows Christian missionaries to stay, and the foreigners come to learn Indian religion, they are not allowed to stay? This is not a very good policy.
| Page Title: | Missionaries |
| Compiler: | Vrindi, Matea, Rishab |
| Created: | 20 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=6, Con=12, Let=7 |
| No. of Quotes: | 28 |