Stay at home
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa / amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa
TRANSLATION
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in
the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master
and try to liberate everyone in this land.”
PURPORT “This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family
life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain
comfortably in his residence. […] The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to
elevate human society to the perfection of life by pursuing the method described
by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His advice to the brahmana Kurma. That is, one
should stay at home, chant the Hare Krsna mantra and preach the instructions of
Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. […] The
cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is explained here very nicely. One who
surrenders to Him and is ready to follow Him with heart and soul does not need
to change his location. Nor is it necessary for one to change his status. One
may remain a householder, a medical practitioner, an engineer or whatever. It
doesn’t matter. One only has to follow the instruction of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and instruct relatives and friends
in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. One has to learn
humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, and in that way one’s life will be spiritually successful. “
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7:128, 130)
A fool can be Guru
“So any child can carry these words. Any foolish man can carry these words. And
if you do that, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, then you become guru, simply by
carrying these words. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa. Even in your
village, in your home, you can say to your wife, to your children. They will
accept you that “Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Then you become
guru at home.”
(Darshan, December 3rd, 1976)
A child can be Guru
“Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu…Yare dekha tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa: “You
become guru. No qualification required. Simply you repeat what Krsna has said.”
Just see how simplified. Don’t talk anything nonsense. Yare dekha tare kaha
‘krsna’— bas. So who cannot do it? Anyone can do it, even a child. (laughs) Our
Syamasundara’s daughter. She was preaching, “Do you know Krsna?” They said, “No
I have got no…” “The Supreme Personality.” This is preaching, simply if you
say that “Krsna is the Supreme Personality, supreme controller. Just be obedient
to Him.” Where is the difficulty? Anyone can preach. Chant Hare Krsna. Bas.
Three words: Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; surrender unto Him;
and chant Hare Krsna. Your life will be successful. What is the difficulty in
preaching these three words? Hm? Is there any difficulty? Even a child like
Sarasvati, she can preach. […] Very simple thing and the sublime instruction.
Everyone can become guru by simply teaching these three words.”
(Room Conversation, 25th, January, 1977)
You need NO qualification
“But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?” There is no need of
qualification. “Still I can become guru?” Yes. “How?” Yare dekha tare kaha
krsna-upadesa: “Whomever you meet, you simply instruct what Krsna has said.
That’s all. You become guru.”
(Lecture, May 21st, 1976)
But don’t take disciples…
All these, and many other, calls from Srila Prabhupada to “become Guru”, are all
repeating Lord Caitanya’s order to “become Guru”, as stated in the amara ajnaya
verse of the Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7:128.
And these calls to become simple preacher Gurus, requiring no qualification that
even a child can do it, are referring only to becoming an instructing or siksa
Guru, as the purports to this verse from Lord Caitanya make clear:
“One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, “I am a
first-class devotee.” Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept
any disciples. One has to become purified at home by chanting the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra and preaching the principles enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of
material life.”
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 7:130, purport)
Only Srila Prabhupada is the initiating Guru
“The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you
should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am
doing.”
(Letter, August 4th, 1975)
“I am the spiritual master of this institution, and all the members of the
society, they’re supposed to be my disciples. They follow the rules and
regulations which I ask them to follow, and they are initiated by me
spiritually.”
(Radio interview, March 12th, 1968)
“The chanting of Hare Krsna is our main business, that is real initiation. And
as you are all following my instruction, in that matter, the initiator is
already there.”
(Letter, August 19th, 1968)
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