Correcting Others“Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is too much absorbed in serving Krishna he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault. No. Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life.” (SP letter to Hansadutta 12/10/72)1. There is a difference between criticism and correction. A devotee realizes that criticizing a Vaishnava pollutes the heart and impedes spiritual advancement.2. To correct a devotee one must be:-(a) Non-envious(B) Desirous to practically assist the devotee in his Krishna consciousness.(c) In a position spiritually or managerially which justifies and/or necessitates such intervention.ORBe personally requested by the devotee to help him in his difficulty.3. The devotee offering correction must be practicing what he preaches.4. Methods of Correction:(a) Correct by personal example and association.(b) Guide the devotee to the shelter of a more advanced devotee.(c) A junior devotee should not personally attempt to correct another devotee. He should reveal his heart to a senior devotee whom he feels at ease with and seek his assistance/advice to adjust the situation.5. Harsh words and actions have no place in correcting a sincere devotee. We want to destroy the ignorance in the heart of a devotee – not the devotee himself.6. If there is some sincere and honest criticism offered, we should be grateful, not upset. To react negatively to well- intentioned correction is to manifest false ego.7. An advanced Vaishnava will see each and every correction offered as the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.8. Prevention is better than cure. If all devotees take up the responsibility to develop proper awareness in their devotional behaviour the need for correction will be minimized.Quotes from Srila PrabhupadaSP Letter to Patita Uddharan (12/12/74) “A devotee — one who is humble — doesn’t fault-find”“So in your letter you are not finding fault with anyone. So you are good Vaishnava. You do not find fault with anyone. This is the qualification. We should always think ourselves humble and meek. This you must know. So we all have to cooperate amongst ourselves, otherwise what will people think if we ourselves fight with one another? A devotee is always ideal in behavior.”SP Letter to Brahmananda 11/15/69 “This is called Vaikuntha attitude. In the Vaikuntha factually there is no fault in anyone, but there is another type of competition. The competition is that one devotee thinks of other devotees how nicely they are serving the Lord. In the material world the attitude is that everyone likes to think that I am doing better than others. This is material conception. In the Spiritual Sky it is just the opposite: Everyone thinks that my contemporary devotees are doing better than me. We are trained to address Godbrothers as Prabhu, which means Master. This means we shall try to find out always the serving side of our Godbrothers. Sometimes there are misgivings, but we should try to overlook.”Letter to Tamal Krishna 8/23/73 [73-8-26] “I have received one complaint from an Indian devotee at Mayapur, Prabharupa Das Brahmacary, that he is maltreated by our American devotees. Kindly inquire into this matter and do the needful. Either Indian or foreign whoever joins us they are not under any obligation, our only tie is Love of Godhead. It should be our definite policy that nobody is ill-treated that he may go away. We recruit a person to join us after spending gallons of blood. Everyone comes for reformation, you cannot expect everyone to be perfect, and rather it is our duty to make everyone perfect as far as possible. So we shall be very much cautious and careful in this connection.”(Devotee misbehavior) Letter to Upendra (8/18/70) “Kindly observe the regulative principles, chanting 16 rounds regularly and see that all your other assistants are doing the same. If someone is lacking, try to induce him peacefully.”SP Letter to Bhavananda 10/28/70 “Regarding some misbehavior, that we have to check by training peacefully. Your attitude of tolerance and kindness is very nice, so train them in this way.”SP Letter to Upendra 3/11/69 “Yes, a new man may commit blunders in the beginning, but that does not mean we may be too impatient with him. After all, training means the man does not know, so you should train him nicely. A Vaishnava is expected to be humbler than the blade of grass, so when you train some new man you should not get agitated with him. After all, we are preachers, and we do not expect our audience or candidates completely respondent to our call. If everyone is trained [already] then what is the use of our preaching?”SP Letter to Hansadutta (9/29/74) “Mend it; don’t break it”"Try to settle up amicably and correct yourself. One man is trained up with great difficulty, especially in spiritual life. Everyone has got some weakness and deficiency. It is better to correct or mend it than to break it.”SP Letter to Nara-Narayana 2/7/69 “Let the Authority Handle It”“I beg to thank you very much for your letter pointing out some of the discrepancies of many of the devotees in New York. You are correct regarding the items which you have stated, such as sleeping in front of the Deities, taking of unoffered foodstuffs, drinking water from the bathroom, and non-chanting of rounds. But the thing is discipline cannot be observed unless there is obedience. As you are obedient to me, you should be similarly obedient to my representative. Your statement about Brahmananda that he is a wonderful devotee is hundred percent agreed by me. He is in charge of the New York center, and therefore, if proper obedience is not given to him, it will be impossible for him to manage affairs of the temple. Under the circumstances, the discrepancies you have observed in the temple may be referred to him, and he is quite reasonable, and will handle the matter with the respective devotees.”SP Letter to Madhumangala (11/18/72) “Regarding general state of affairs at Amsterdam temple, I can understand there is some disturbance among you, but that is not to be taken very seriously. Real business is preaching work. And if there is full attention on this matter only, all other businesses will be automatically successful. Fighting amongst ourselves is not at all good, but if our preaching work is neglected, or if we fall down in following the regulative principles — such as rising before four, chanting 16 rounds, like that — if these things are not strictly observed, then Maya will enter and spoil everything. So my best advice to you is to strictly observe these things yourself and be the example so that all others may follow. We should not criticize each other as Vaishnavas, because there is fault in everyone and we may be ourselves subject to criticism. Best thing is to be above suspicion ourselves, and then if we see discrepancies and make suggestions, the others will automatically respect and take action to rectify the matters. Otherwise the whole thing is doomed if we simply go on fighting over some small thing. So try to organize things and preach together in this spirit and that will please me very very much.”SP Letter to Vrndavanesvari 7/28/69 “You have mentioned about some criticism made by Jayagovinda which upset you. I do not know exactly what is the point, but if there is some honest criticism, there should be no cause of becoming upset.”SP letter to Goursundar (8/26/72): THE DEFECT LIES WITHIN YOU“If there is some incident and I claim that no one is cooperating with me or no one will work with me, that is MY defect, NOT THEIRS. The Vaishnava devotee must think like this. We should not find fault with others and criticize and go away. That is not the Vaishnava way. Better we should always be willing to offer all respect to others and consider them as our superiors always.”Etiquette in ManagementISKCON is a spiritual organization personally established by Srila Prabhupäda. We must to take care that it doesn’t become material. Anything (husband-wife relationship, Deity worship, even prasadam) can turn material by one’s consciousness. In any Society, there must be some organization and management, otherwise there will be chaos. Even in the spiritual world, Krishna’s friends are subdivided and supervised (Lord Balarama is group leader for his cowherd boy-friends; Candravali and Radharani head up left-wing and right-wing gopis, etc). ISKCON is no different. In order for people to interact in a harmonious fashion, dealings and activities must be regulated and orchestrated.>1. The material nature is the world of exploitation but the spiritual nature is the world of service.2. ISKCON is a spiritual organization. Regardless of position everyone is first and foremost a servant of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. No one should exploit his position for selfish interests.3. Higher position means greater service. Position means an opportunity to purely represent Srila Prabhupada. Hence our management must be based on humility and tolerance.4. Treat your subordinates as younger brothers.5. Leadership is based on spiritual qualification, not on anything material. A mature, dedicated preacher makes the best leader.6. A leader’s character must be spotless.7. Leaders must feel for their followers, and then the followers will naturally trust them.8. It is important to lead with detachment and guide with a strong sense of duty.9. Krishna conscious management is autocratic and democratic.10. Talk to devotees and be open to new ideas.11. Don’t hide anything from the Vaishnava’s.12. There should be more than one signer for bank accounts, buying of properties etc.13. It is best if all incoming funds are declared before the Deities, Srila Prabhupäda, and the Vaishnavas.14. All incoming funds should be deposited in the bank and then spent from the account.Quotes from Srila Prabhupada“The sweetness of Lord Krishna is not to be tasted by those who consider themselves equal to Krishna. It is to be tasted only through the sentiment of servitude.”C.C Adi-Lila 1:6:103.SP Letter to Hansadutta 7/11/70“…Or you may follow your other plan, but however you do it, do it jointly by combined consultation. If you do it jointly in this way, you will get strength to decide the right thing.”SP Letter to Amogha 5/9/72 “One thing is, too much competition between centers is not good, the emphasis should be on co-operation, not competition.”SP Letter to Janaki 1/18/69 “Please do your duty combined without any disruption of peaceful attitudes amongst yourselves. We are pushing our movement on the background of a peaceful atmosphere in the world, and if we show a little disturbance in our own camp that will not be a very good example. Therefore, everyone should be forbearing, tolerant and cooperative.”“Krishna consciousness is such an important mission, the devotees should cooperate, even if there were discrepancies . The material world is like an ocean, and there would always be waves.” (SP Lil.V, p.9)Letter to Upendra 8/6/70 now all my disciples must work combined and with cooperation to spread this sankirtan movement. If you cannot work together, then my work is stopped up. Our Society is like one big family and our relationship should be based on love and trust. We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to push ahead. You should accept help from your Godbrothers.”SP Letter to Kirtanananda (11/12/74) “Yes, following the rules and regulations is the real qualification of GBC. We have made things easy for being qualified for such position, but still they are violating… Your conclusion is very good and I very much appreciate that GBC or XYZ you are always servant of Krishna. That is wanted.”“When a KC person is elevated to a responsible position, he becomes humble, as a tree laden with fruits.” (1/27/70) Gajendra “When a Krishna Conscious person is elevated to a responsible position, he never becomes puffed up. Just like a tree when over laden with fruits becomes humble and lower down; similarly, a great soul in Krishna Consciousness becomes humbler than the grass and bowed down like the fruitful trees because a Krishna Conscious person acts as the agent of Krishna, therefore he discharges his duty with great responsibility.”Spiritual Management (SP Lil.V, p.91) Prabhupada said he knew “the pulse of his disciples.” Thus he had recently <1972> sensed a tendency to be too absorbed in management and not enough in preaching. He had been telling his secretary that GBC- men should not simply sit behind their desks and try to centralize power but should become detached, take sannyasa, and travel and preach. Now he had advised that they not give up their managerial burden but follow his example of preaching and managing their GBC zones in a renounced spirit.SP Letter to Krishnavesa Devi Dasi (1/16/75)“My request to you is that you try to follow the authorities there — the temple president, the GBC, etc. Cooperate nicely with them. Our movement is based on love and trust, so if we do not cooperate, then how is that love and trust? Follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly without deviation, chant 16 rounds, attend class and mangal arati, and then everything will be all right.”SP Letter to Krishna Das VE (3/5/69) “This surrendering process is unconditional. Surrendering does not mean that one should only surrender in favorable circumstances. That is not surrender. Surrendering means that in any condition the surrendering process must continue. [And what is an important part of that surrendering process?] …You must work conjointly. That is my desire. And if you fight amongst yourselves for some individual interests, that is not surrender.”“Krishna consciousness means full cooperation with Krishna, and Krishna means with all his entourage. We should always remember this. Just like when we speak of a tree, it includes the root, the trunk, the branches, the leaves, the flowers — everything. Therefore to love Krishna means to love Him along with all His Name, His fame, His qualities, His entourage, His abode, His devotees, etc.” (3/2/70) YamunaTemple Room EtiquetteTemple room etiquette is described in detail by Srila Prabhupäda in his Nectar of Devotion.Other Quotes from Srila PrabhupadaLetter to Nandarani & Krishna Devi (10/4/67)“Another thing I request is that everything in the Temple should be kept nice and clean. Everyone should wash hands before touching anything of Krishna’s. We should always remember that Krishna is the purest and similarly only the purest can associate with Him. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”[In arcan] There is no matter if there is a little change here and there — the real duty is love and devotion.” (7/26/70) YamunaSP Letter to Kirtanananda (11/23/74)Regarding the prasadam, I never approved Mr. Malkani cooking in the temple. He is not initiated. Of course, he is Hindu, but he is not initiated to cook in the temple. Any paid cook is not desirable. The independent cooking in the temple is not good.”{Footnote: “The right thing is that only twice initiated brahmin disciples cook in the temple.}”Letter to Mahapurusa (3/28/68) “Yes, a non-initiate can work under the direction of a devotee in the kitchen.”(Cc. Antya 4.128 purpt) It is customary for the priests of temples in India not even to touch outsiders nor enter the Deity room after having been touched. This is a very important item in temple worship.Seeing the Deity in a pleasing moodLetter (5/27/70) to Tamal Krishna“You have described Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna at London Temple as wonderful. Yes, that is the test of standard service. If we see the Deities in very pleasing mood, that will certify our service unto the Lord. So everywhere we shall see the Deities in such pleasing mood. As soon as we see the Deities in a different mood we must immediately understand our discrepancies.”Srila Prabhupada said that the devotional practices in the Jaipur temple were standard and could be introduced throughout ISKCON. . (SP Lil.V, p.47,48.)Serving Guests and Life MembersA Vaishnava’s heart is very pure and a pure hearted person is extremely magnanimous. So one’s Vaishnavism will be judged by the degree of his magnanimity.General1. Any guests who visit are Srila Prabhupada’s guests. As his servants it is our pleasure (and duty) to serve them.2. The arrival of a guest is a chance to introduce a conditioned soul to Srila Prabhupada or relish Vaishnava association. Vaishnavas feel joy and gratitude to be blessed with such an opportunity.3. Krishna consciousness is synonymous with personalism. We need to step beyond the bodily conception and remember that everyone is a part and parcel of Krishna and is very dear to Him. We show this practically by:(a) Welcoming the guest with sweet words, a seat and prasada. (If no prasada is available at least a glass of water should be offered.)(b) Being prepared to give our time and sincere concern(c) Remaining Krishna Conscious in our discussions and dealings(d) Thanking the guest for his visit and inviting him to please come again.4. Essentially, our mood should be one of loving exchange.Receiving Guests in the Temple“When we actually see people coming to our centre, chant, and dance, take Prasad, becoming jubilant and purchase books, we know that certainly Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is always present in such transcendental activities and He is very pleased and satisfied.”Adi Lila 2.9.50P5. Spontaneous service is encouraged in the visitor by the sensitive, pure preaching of the devotee. Every guest should at least be engaged by hearing the glories of Srila Prabhupada, relishing prasada and chanting the Holy Name.6. The natural reciprocation of the soul to such engagement is a desire to share the happiness experienced. The expert preacher will facilitate this by offering Prasad, temple invitations or literature to the guest to distribute to his friends and relatives.Quotes from Srila Prabhupada- SP Nectar 3, 1 Story of Surabhi Swami and Jayapataka Swami One day while Srila Prabhupada was in Bombay, he simultaneously had visitors from Vrindavana and Mayapur. This was during a period when temple construction was going on in both places, so Prabhupada expected his disciples in those places to come ask him for money. And the disciples knew that Prabhupada would be expecting and demanding results from them on these important construction projects.But when these disciples visited from distant places, Prabhupada always first welcomed them according to Vaishnava etiquette. Prabhupada had said that his mission was like a war on Maya, and so he received his own soldiers from the field by first offering them sweet words and relief. He asked them if they had taken any prasadam, and he suggested that they might want to rest. At least for a few minutes, the immediate, pressing problems were put aside, as Prabhupada’s disciples basked in the sweetness of his darsana and his kind welcome.“You should always be able to offer water, hot puris and eggplant bhaji, and sweets,” Prabhupada said. Even when guests appeared shy, Prabhupada would insist they take a full meal. SP Lil.V.p144During the train ride to Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada reiterated his displeasure with the mismanaged ISKCON pandal at Kumbha-mela. Thousands of guests were coming to the Hare Krishna pandal without receiving prasadam. Determined that the bad example not be repeated, he dictated a letter, “To all ISKCON Temple Presidents.”“Please accept my blessings. Now you must arrange in each temple there must be sufficient stock of prasadam for distribution. You can keep first-class cooks, two or three, and they should always be engaged. Whenever any guests come, he must get prasadam. This arrangement must be made, that the cooks prepare 10-20 servings at a time, of puris and sabji, and then you can add halava and pakoras and the visitors may be supplied immediately. Whenever a gentleman comes, he must be served. As the twenty servings are being distributed, immediately the cooks prepare another 20 servings and store it. At the end of the day if no one comes, our men will take, so there is no loss. You cannot say, “It is finished,” “It is not cooked yet,” “There is no supply for cooking,” etc. This must be enforced rigidly. The temple is managed by Srimatii Radharani, Laksmiji; so why should there be want? Our philosophy is, if anyone comes, let him take Prasad, chant Hare Krishna, and be happy. Everything is being supplied by Krishna. Krishna is not poor, so why should we deny them? This should be done at any cost. There is no difficulty. It simply requires nice management. At the end of the day you may sell or give away. If we believe that Krishna is providing for and maintaining everyone, then why should we be misers? This means losing faith in Krishna and thinking that we are the doers and suppliers. We are confident that Krishna will supply! Let the whole world come. We can feed them. So please do this nicely. Begin at once.”(SP Lilamrta VI, pg 232; letter, Jan. 1977)Serving and Honoring Prasad“I like this idea very much. Our chanting is the medicine and our prasadam is the diet for curing material disease.” (P letter to Dayananda 68/10/37)How to Honor PrasadWhen a devotee distributes prasada, remnants of food offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in order to maintain our spirit of devotional service we must accept this prasada as the Lord’s grace received through the pure devotees. (NI Text 4, p 39)1. Remember that Krishna prasadam is non-different from Krishna. Recite the ‘sarira avidya-jal’ prayer to remember that.2. Use the right hand to eat and drink.3. Meditate on how Krishna tasted the offering. (One can also meditate on Krishna’s mercy in providing prasadam and the prasadam pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krishna.)4. Do not talk while honoring prasadam (besides glorifying Krishna and His prasadam.)5. Do not throw prasadam. Never touch prasadam with your feet.6. Wash hands, feet and mouth before and after eating.7. Drink a glass of water one hour before eating. For some time after eating, don’t drink; if you at all have to drink, drink something hot.8. Srila Prabhupada said: Fill 1/4 of your stomach with water, 1/2 with food and the other 1/4 with air. DO NOT OVEREAT!How to Serve Prasadam“We should never waste Krishna prasadam. Best thing is to cook only what is required and then give each person what he wants. That is the Vedic system that the people sit in rows behind their plates and servers pass down the rows and put a very small portion of each foodstuff on each plate, unless there is some objection by a person. Then nothing is given. Then if anyone wants more, the servers pass up and down the rows continually and give more if anyone requests. In this way nothing is wasted and everyone is satisfied.” (SP letter to Kirtiraja das 71.11.42)1. All to be served should be invited to sit on the floor, and prasadam should be served by qualified devotees.2. Those that are served should be very clean, peaceful, and satisfied. They should eat before serving, if necessary. They should try not to speak while serving.3. Serve just the right amount so that nothing is wasted.4. Seniors should be served first. Householders should serve the guests. Old people and children should be served first.5. Place salt and lemon on each plate before those to be served are seated.6. Always serve water first.7. Prasadam should be served in the following order: First bitter preparations like sukta and bitter melon. Then spinach and other astringent items. Fried preparations and dhal. Various spicy vegetables Sour items. Sweet preparations. Rice and capatis are staple foods and should be on the plate8. Go around serving seconds until everyone is satisfied. Don’t be stingy – don’t hold anything back because you want to take it later. Prasadam is meant for distribution.9. Do not touch plates with the serving spoon. Touching the plate contaminates the spoon. If a spoon becomes contaminated, you should wash it.10. Don’t let your fingers touch any of the preparations, even water. Salt should never be served by hand, use a spoon.11. Never touch prasadam with your feet or step over it.12. Serve the prasadam from serving buckets.13. Don’t drag buckets along the floor or make clanging noises with pot handles or utensils. Serve quietly.14. After everyone is finished honoring prasadam, clean the place immediately.Quotes from Srila PrabhupadaStory of Prabhupada’s visit (along with some disciples) at the Asram of Puri Maharaja in Visakhapatnam (SP Lil V, pg 66-67):”Prabhupada’s godbrother Ananda was eager to cook and serve not only Srila Prabhupada, but all his disciples. Ananda was elderly, yet he took the position of always offering menial service. Although he spoke very little English, Prabhupada’s disciples could perceive the affection of Ananda and Srila Prabhupada for each other. Ananda’s communication with Srila Prabhupada’s disciples was particularly manifest through his cooking and serving of prasadam…[A wonderful description is then given on how Ananda would serve all the devotees prasadam.]Each morning everyone would gather on the veranda outside Prabhupada’s quarters, the men sitting on one side, the ladies on the other. Down the center aisle, Ananda would walk briskly; distributing prasadam, while Prabhupäda sat at one end in a wooden chair, fingering his japa beads and observing the devotees take prasadam. Prabhupada had supplied money to the ashram and Ananda was regularly cooking sumptuous feasts: deep-fried chunks of potatoes in powdered spices, rice, yogurt, dhal, and three different types of subjis, French fries, chutney, malpura, rajkeli, sandesa, ksira — and everything cooked to a nectarean standard of excellence.Prabhupada would sit at the head of the two rows and encourage them to take prasadam: “Give him more!” Prabhupada would praise Ananda’s cooking, smiling with pleasure to see his disciples accept prasadam. The devotees would finish, having been induced to eat as much as they possibly could, and Srila Prabhupada would say aloud the prema-dhvani. Then all the devotees would shout in response, “Jaya!”After one such feast, Prabhupada called the devotees into his room and remarked, “See how he is cooking. He cooks everything, he serves it, and then he doesn’t eat until everyone is fully satisfied. This is Vaishnava, how he should act. He is more satisfied to serve than to enjoy himself.”Kirtan Etiquette“Regarding your question about the dancing, the dancing should be done enthusiastically by raising the hands like Panca-tattva. You can also dance enthusiastically by raising hands. All of Lord Chaitanya’s followers used to dance with raised hands. If someone dances with ecstasy, that is all right, but it is better to dance with raised hands.” (SP Letter to Kirtanananda 11/10/74?)1. Kirtan means glorification of Sri Hari by means of singing. (When only one devotee sings, it is bhajan.)2. Glorify Sri Krishna, not yourself.3. Sing with sincere devotion for the pleasure of Sri Krishna and His devotees.4. When singing in a group, one or two persons should lead and other devotees should follow.5. The instruments that Srila Prabhupada instructed for accompanying kirtan were kartals, mridanga and jhampa (whompers). He didn’t approve of harmonium for kirtan. For bhajan it is alright. The instruments, especially jhampa, should not drown out the holy name or cause pain to the ears. The instruments should follow the kirtan leader.6. Use simple melody and preferably the appropriate melody (raga) for the time of day.7. Don’t think that you are the best singer and therefore you should lead. Vaishnavas are by nature humble. They naturally want to follow not lead. However, if they are requested to lead by the Vaishnavas, then they are happy to serve.Etiquette in Publicyad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah sa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate(Bhagavat Gita 3.21)Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.1. Always remember that you are representing Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada never compromised the Absolute Truth. However, he was always the perfect gentleman. This is Krishna Consciousness.2. While dealing with people we have to sacrifice our false ego. We must train ourselves not to be concerned with the subtle interaction of the three modes and material nature.3. We need to develop single-minded determination to think, speak and act as Srila Prabhupada wants us. This is Krishna Consciousness.4. It is imperative that we remember, by constant practice, that everyone is a part and parcel of Sri Krishna. Our only business is to reawaken their consciousness to spiritual reality.5. Always remember that everyone – including Sri Krishna – is watching you.6. Sankirtan is the most effective method to awaken Krishna Consciousness. A devotee should be very concerned to distribute Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. This should be the essence of all our dealings.7. Never lose your temper in public. Humility and tolerance will always win over anger and frustration.8. Don’t eat in public or sit in public places for discussion or relaxation.Quotes from Srila PrabhupadaSP Letter to Sri Govinda (6/12/74) “Actually, what is our aim? Our aim is to create men of ideal character. And if our men are distributing books on this account, they are doing the best service to society. What we are doing, that they must see — see their sacrifice, what is behind their life, how they are living, how they have sacrificed everything for the welfare of society.”(SP Lil.V, p.22-23) “That is the standard of living in America. You cannot say, `No, I shall not lie down in this nice apartment. I shall lie down in the street. I am a sannyasi!’ Then nobody will respect me. So we have to use it , but we should not be attached to it. Our attachment should be for Krishna, and for Krishna’s service we can accept anything.”Touching feet 3/11/70 Acyutananda “You do not allow anyone to touch your feet–but if they want to insist on touching your feet and there is no other way to avoid it, you can simply remember your predecessor Acaryas and Spiritual Masters and accept them and return namaskar with folded hands. That is the Vaishnava etiquette.When Srila Prabhupada was questioned by journalists he didn’t answer in view of what would be printed, but Prabhupada was speaking to these reporters as spirit souls, reaching out toward Krishna consciousness. (SP Lil.V, pg 58)A young man demanded, “Have you realized the soul in the innermost depths of your being?”Prabhupada: “Yes.”The man: “When was the Bhagavad-Gita written?”Prabhupada: “Now you answer my question. What is the process of receiving knowledge from the Bhagavad-Gita?”The man: “No, you tell me when was the Bhagavad-Gita written? According to some swamis it was written fifteen hundred years ago, but you said 5000 years.”Srila Prabhupada raised his voice angrily: “I am not your servant. I am Krishna’s servant. You must answer my question!”After the man left, Prabhupada completed his lecture by stating that one must approach Krishna or Krishna’s representative with a submissive attitude, by serving and inquiring, not simply asking challenging questions. (SP Lil. V, p.16)“Just as the gopis were lusty for Krishna, Arjuna would get angry for Krishna. So it is not bad that a devotee becomes angry for Krishna.” (SP Lil. V, p.17)Etiquette in Holy Places“Coming to pilgrimage means to come where the sadhus are. I am here, so why is everyone going elsewhere?” “You cannot see Vrindavana with visaya, or material spirit. The test is how much you have conquered over eating, sleeping and mating. Don’t think you can just come to Vrindavana and become a Goswami!”(SP> Lil. V, p193)1. We come to a holy place to become purified, to develop our Krishna Consciousness.2. It is important not only to maintain a submissive, humble attitude with other ISKCON devotees but with all the residents of the Dhama. (We should be especially mindful of this in ‘mundane’ dealings e.g. arranging transport, shopping).3. To actually be in the Dhama means to be in the association of devotees, to hear from senior Vaishnavas and serve them. We cannot see a holy place with visaya (material spirit). We are reliant on the mercy of the Vaishnavas.4. We must maintain Srila Prabhupada’s good name by being clean in all our dealings. (This includes everything from eating to changing money).5. We must be aware that Govardhana Hill, Radha and Shyama Kund etc. are Supremely transcendental personalities. If we desire to take their darshan we must do so in proper consciousness.6. Animals are also residents of the Dhama. We should neither befriend them nor make them our enemies. It is best to maintain a neutral position.7. It is important to come to the Dhama in a service mood rather than an enjoying mood. Then our visit will be successful.Quotes from Srila PrabhupädaSP Letter to Jadunandan (3/26/68) Dhama considerations (neophytes are not recommended to go for seeking solitude)”The association of devotees is the only solace for our existence. New York might have been a little busier than Boston, but so long as it is under the guidance of an experienced devotee, the affairs in both cases are all right. The tendency for solitude is a kind of reaction on our past material activities, but solitude is not very good for a neophyte. ..The best thing therefore is not to seek solitude in the beginning, but remain in the midst of pure devotees so that even there is attack of Maya, their association will protect us. If you are, however, always busy in the matter of preaching work, that is very nice. But to remain alone in a solitary place for a new man is not advisable.Vrindavana is of course very impressive for devotional service, but that also is not advisable to remain alone. I am trying to get a nice place at Vrindavana and when the place is there, I shall personally be present with some devotees, and appreciate the atmosphere in Vrindavana. So long we are engaged in devotional service with proper guidance, certainly we are always in transcendental position, and transcendental position is unlimited. It doesn’t matter whether you are in Vrindavana or USA. But still, of course, Vrindavana atmosphere is very sweet. But so long as we have not completely freed our material attachment, even Vrindavana residence becomes uncongenial. Just like in the case of Kirtananda, it was so happened. …Our sound position is always being engaged in service of Krishna that is positive standing.”Learn the Etiquettes: “In the holy dhama, if one of my disciples drinks from a jug and contaminates that jug, everyone will notice it. Don’t be criticized for this uncleanliness or I will be criticized. It is the duty of the disciples to follow these etiquette habits very austerely.” (SP Lil. v, p.29-30)[Refer this also to "How to serve and honor prasadam"]All Animals are Residents of the Dhama (Dogs, Hogs, and Monkeys)Not Disturbing the Dogs(SP.Lil.V, p.25) Once in Vrindavana, the devotees tried to chase away a few stray dogs by throwing stones and yelling, but Prabhupada stopped them, “Leave them alone,” he said, and he began throwing the dog’s prasadam from his plate.The Monkeys“Neither be their friend nor their enemies, if you make friends with them, they will simply be nuisance. If you become their enemies, they will become very vindictive. Just maintain a neutral position.” (SP Lil.V, p.42)Dealing with Indian Brahmans, Mayavadis and other SampradayasIndian Brahmanas and Mayavadis1. In dealing with the smarta Brahmans we must remember that they have no bona fide parampara. Therefore they are not in a position to have received transcendental knowledge.2. The Vaishnava is more elevated than a Brahman.3. Srila Prabhupada’s second pranam mantra indicates that we should minimize our dealings with the mayavadis.4. We may choose to offer respects to Mayavadis but we must never accept their food.5. How to defeat Mayavadis:(a) Their understanding of the Absolute is incomplete.(b) They utilize relative means in their quest for the Absolute.(c) They distort the quintessence of the scripture.(d) Lord Siva came as Sankaracarya to bewilder the demoniac people in the age of Kali through mayavadi philosophy.6. It is better not to preach to mayavadis or smarta Brahmans. However, we should preach to the innocent who have been influenced by them.Other Sampradayas
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