“Your ambition for chanting Hare Krishna exclusively is very good. But sacrificing the results of action is as good. A concrete example is Arjuna. He fought very chivalrously under the instructions of the Lord, and the Lord certified him to be the best devotee and friend of the Lord. So there is no distinction between chanting and offering the results of one’s activity. Sometimes under the garb of chanting people take to the habit of laziness, which is not required at all. Execution of devotional service is prescribed first with enthusiasm and patience. One can execute this transcendental activities staying as he is, but he must follow and try to apply in practical life the instructions as they are given in the Bhagavad Gita or Srimad-Bhagwatam, received through the proper channel.
I thank you once more for your progress, in the matter of Krishna Consciousness, and I shall always pray to Krishna for your steady progress more and more, along with your nice wife. Hope you are all three well.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 10, 1968)
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Feb 3 1975 Hawaii—Giving 50% of income or remain fallen
Devotee (1): No, I know, but for his actions other than just following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. He does so many other things during the day. Where does he derive his authority if he’s not, let’s say, living in the temple?
Prabhupāda: I do not follow. The authority is guru. You have accepted.
Bali Mardana: For everything.
Jayatīrtha: Say I have some outside job, I’m living outside, but I’m not giving 50% of my income. So then that work that I’m doing, is it actually under the authority of the guru?
Prabhupāda: Then you are not following the instruction of guru. That is plain fact.
Jayatīrtha: So that means that whole activity during the day, working, that means I am not following the instruction of the guru. It’s unauthorized activity.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you don’t follow the instruction of guru, then you are fallen down immediately. That is the way. Otherwise why you sing, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. It is my duty to satisfy guru. Otherwise I am nowhere. So if you prefer to be nowhere, then you disobey as you like. But if you want to be steady in your position, then you have to follow strictly the instruction of guru.
Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by reading your books.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn’t matter. You are secure. Follow the instruction. Then you are secure anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Just like I told you that I saw my Guru Mahārāja not more than ten days in my life, but I followed his instruction. I was a gṛhastha, I never lived with the Maṭha, in the temple. It is practical. So many Godbrothers recommended that “He should be in charge in this Bombay temple, this, that, that…” Guru Mahārāja said, “Yes, better he lives outside. That is good, and he will do what is needed in due course of time.”
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupāda: He said like that. I could not understand at that time what does he expect. Of course, I knew that he wanted me to preach.
Yaśodānandana: I think you have done this in grand style.
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Srila Prabhupada says….”50% of my work is incomplete”
This below, is part of a paper written by Abhirama das (ACBSP) on the matter of Varnashram establishment
In 1977, when Srila Prabhupada told us that he had no lamentation except for one, we were surprised. Speaking about his impending departure from his material body (Vrindavan 1977), he commented; “Na sochati na kanchati…...I have no any lamentation” (by which he meant that he did not regret that he was departing this body). Then pausing and reconsidering that statement, he then said; “no….. I do have one lamentation” Brahmananda Prabhu asked Him for clarification; “are you lamenting because you have not finished the Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada?” To which Srila Prabhupada said; “no, it is because I have not established varnasrama. 50% of my work is incomplete.” I was sitting next to His Divine Grace, massaging his hands when this was said and we all present clearly understood this unambiguous statement.
Within this period, just before departing Vrindavan for London in the summer of 1977, he often spoke about the importance of establishing varnasrama. He intended to go to America, as his last preaching trip; “if I go there, even at the risk of my life, my disciples will be encouraged” and he made it very clear that he would be going primarily to establish varnasrama there. I was especially focused on these comments, because he had earlier given me a similar instruction (in 1974) to establish what he then referred to as “Vaikuntha world”. “Make a Vaikuntha world…catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah….” he said to me, in the context of a discussion about making a farm community in Florida, where I was serving. So, one early evening, while attending him on the roof of his Vrindavan cottage, I waited for a moment to ask about my key concern. When we were alone, I inquired; “Srila Prabhupada, what would you do to establish varnasrama?” To which he replied; “I will go to Gita Nagari, I will sit down and teach you how to live off the land”..
NOTE– for those looking for something to do for the spiritual master Srila Prabhupada-here is one huge area of service-learning how to become self sufficient and live off what you produce in the realm fruits flowers and food. Yasoda nandan also told me he was present one other time when Srila Prabhupada said the same thing-“50% of my work is still not done”
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April 3 1975 Mayapur
If you think, “Now I have chanted my sixteen rounds. Now I’ve finished my business. Now I can do whatever nonsense I like,” no. Kṛṣṇa says no. Satata. Therefore we have to plan our life in such a way that we haven’t got any other engagement than service of Kṛṣṇa. This is required. ….. Unless you develop love for Kṛṣṇa, you cannot be engaged twenty-four hours. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, prīti-pūrvakam: not officially, but with love. If you acquire this qualification, then you will talk with Kṛṣṇa who is within your heart. Then you’ll talk. He is ready to talk, but He does not talk with rascals and fools. One must acquire the qualification to talk with Kṛṣṇa. Then you’ll be able to talk with Deity. Within your heart Kṛṣṇa is situated there. Anywhere you go, Kṛṣṇa is within you, and He’ll give you intelligence. ….
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
