View source for What if I don't know, I haven't understood? What if I think I have understood but I have actually not?

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{{terms|"What if I don't know, I haven't understood"|"What if I think I have understood but I have actually not"}}
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{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas}}
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{{first|15Jun11}}
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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1974]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationMarch161974Vrndavana_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="39" link="Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana" link_text="Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana">
<div class="heading">There are many things like that. So you should try to understand it fully. Why should you understand it haphazardly? You must try to understand fully.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana|Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Guru dāsa: If there is a devotees who are not yet purified, if the devotee is not yet purified, why is the temple president a representative of you? If we are not at the purified stage, then why is the temple president a representative of yourself?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: To carry his order. That is purification. If you create your own atmosphere, then you become impure. If you simply carry out the order of your spiritual master, then you will be benefited. If you do your own business, that is not good. You can not do anything which is not ordered by your spiritual master. Of course, everyone should have sense. It is not that we are dull, stone. Unless it is moved, it cannot... You have got moving power. But the basic issue should be to carry out the orders of his spiritual master. That is your president. Otherwise you are not.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Sometimes we have the experience of someone in authority who is obviously not following your instructions.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Hm?</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Sometimes we have the experience, someone in authority who is obviously not following your instructions.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That you have not to judge.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Ah.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You are not to judge. You should be, you should know that this man is appointed, and he gets here by spiritual process. I must follow. You cannot judge him.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Oh.</p>
<p>Devotee: (indistinct)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is not your business, judging.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Then we simply wait for further instructions from you and keep....</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No further instructions.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Ah.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So long he is president you must follow him. If he is wrong, that will be corrected by the spiritual master.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Right.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You cannot correct him. Otherwise obedience is the first discipline. If you do not obey the representative, authority, then there cannot be any discipline. Then everything will be topsy-turvy.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: You would rather have us follow the temple president...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: ...than to...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: If he is wrong, that cannot... He will come out.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Ah.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So the steps will be taken by the spiritual master. You cannot, do not try to rectify.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Our advancement is the same?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Huh?</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Our advancement...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: ...is going on.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You follow, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2|BG 4.2]]), gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 13.80|CC Madhya 13.80]]), servant of the servants of the servant of, then this is our.</p>
<p>Guru dāsa: That's the consideration. Advancement is (indistinct). (break)</p>
<p>Harikeśa: I know I am making mistakes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Why do you preach?</p>
<p>Harikeśa: That's my question.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Stop preaching.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Ah.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: If you know your mistakes and you're preaching, why this nonsense preaching?</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Preaching must be perfect.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. (indistinct) We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect. You should not think that "I have become perfect." Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, guru more mūrkha dekhi ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 7.71|CC Adi 7.71]]). He presented Himself as fool number one. So we should always keep ourself as fool number one, that "I am not perfect. I am fool number one." But whatever I am doing I am carrying the orders of the perfect. That is my credit. I am not perfect. Suppose I give you, (indistinct), five thousand dollars. That is not my money. I am not rich man. But the money is paid by somebody else and I deliver, that's all. That is my perfection. If I don't touch it, I do not take from five hundred dollars a paise even, and I deliver it, that is my perfection. I may not be rich man, but if I deliver this amount to you, in perfect order, that is my perfection.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: Sometimes, due to my conditioning, I cannot exactly understand what you are saying.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. If you cannot understand what I am saying, then you should ask repeat. Try to understand (indistinct), that "I cannot understand this, and explain." Put it to the immediate president or any Godbrother. If he still, if he cannot explain, if he feels unable, he can inquire to me. In this way.</p>
<p>Harikeśa: What if I don't know, I haven't understood? What if I think I have understood but I have actually not?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: There are many things like that. So you should try to understand it fully. Why should you understand it haphazardly? You must try to understand fully. (break)</p>
<p>Harikeśa: ...position to criticize his Godbrothers, no matter what?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You can criticize, if you are right. You cannot criticize wrongly. (break)</p>
<p>Devotee: ...instructions rather than our sense gratification? (break)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is not right that he says that. Sense gratification is wrong. You cannot gratify your senses. You have to enjoy your senses in the service of the Lord. That is perfection. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]). That is our only business. (break)</p>
<p>Devotee (lady): Thank you. I'm leaving. (break)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: ...hot.</p>
<p>Devotee (lady): Yes. I'm just to make very hot. (break)</p>
<p>Harikeśa: ...to increase as we become more and more pure?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Everyone has got that intelligence, to understand and ... (end)</p>
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