Srila Prabhupada's Loving Followers
Srila Prabhupada was sometimes quite frank about his followers. "I am engaging fools, rascals, anyone to spread Krsna consciousness."Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, Volume 6, p.1954 "We have to select men from the worst class. Those who were finished, tenth class."Once, Prabhupada compared himself to Lord Rama, who had crossed the ocean to bring Laxmi from the hands of the demons to Bharata. "And," Prabhupada said, "just as Lord Rama had an army of monkeys to help Him, so do I."
Prabhupada loved his monkeys though, and was proud of their unsophisticated attempts to become worthy members of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. He never forgot sincere service rendered by a disciple. Although stern in his admonishment, he was ever ready to forgive an errant disciple and encourage him to go on in devotional service. Prabhupada knew his disciples' faults, and he was certainly heavy with them, but he rarely rejected them.
Some devotees seem to think that if Srila Prabhupada's disciples are glorified, somehow or other it diminishes Prabhupada's glories. Rather, the opposite is true. If the son is glorified, the father is automatically glorified with him.
True, we never saw such a person as Srila Prabhupada before. We never knew that such a person could exist. We have not seen such a person since. We do not expect to see such a person again in the future. Personalities as great as Srila Prabhupada are extremely few and rarely come to this world. So it is unreasonable to deprecate the followers of Srila Prabhupada because they are not as great as him. Those who are sincerely following share in his greatness. By his grace, they may also be glorified. Rather than searching for what they lack, let us try to appreciate what wonderful mercy they have got from Srila Prabhupada: the mercy to carry on his mission, within their capacities. Let us remember the Vaisnava spirit that Srila Prabhupada taught us, and look for qualities, not faults, in devotees.
"I love Prabhupada but I don't like ISKCON." Impossible. It is like saying, "I love Krsna but not His cows." Whatever ISKCON is, was, or should be, it is inseparable from Srila Prabhupada. If we really love Prabhupada, we can never reject ISKCON. Whatever difficulties or failings may be there, we have to stay in this movement and try and overcome the problems that will inevitably arise by the very nature of this condemned world. Instead of demanding utopia, we have to learn to live in this world and do something practical to make it better by working to help make Srila Prabhupada's mission a success.
- From the "My Memories of Srila Prabhupada" by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami
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