Category:My Sons and Daughters (Prabhupada)
Theme Analysis
In this affectionate category, Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks not as an official head of an institution, but as a loving father. He repeatedly confirms that the bond between spiritual master and disciple is more substantial and enduring than biological ties. Having left his own family in India to execute his mission, he marvels at how Kṛṣṇa rewarded him with thousands of "spiritual sons and daughters" in the West who took up his mission as their life and soul.
- Thicker Than Blood: Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently states that his disciples are "more dear" to him than his own biological children because they are helping him fulfill the order of his Guru Mahārāja. He affirms that the spiritual father-son relationship is eternal, whereas material relationships are temporary.
- The Title of Bhaktivedanta: He expresses his desire that all his qualified disciples eventually inherit the title "Bhaktivedanta," creating a "family transcendental diploma" that continues through generations.
- A Father's Tolerance: He reveals the depth of his patience, noting that just as a father tolerates the disturbances of his children, he tolerates the shortcomings of his disciples, never rejecting them but always trying to rectify them. He declares, "I shall never allow him to fall down... I shall drag him forcibly."
- The Future Hope: He places the future of the movement squarely on their shoulders, calling them his "future hope" and expressing confidence that they will maintain the high standard of purity he established.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: More Dear Than My Own - The Spiritual Family of Prabhupāda.
Pages in category "My Sons and Daughters (Prabhupada)"
The following 46 pages are in this category, out of 46 total.
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- Because our process is chanting. So if my students, my sons, my friends, they are all in God's name, then I chant always. This is the significance - of giving spiritual name
- Before breakfast I used to ask him (my second son), "Show me your teeth." So he'll. "Yes." "All right, you have washed your teeth. That's all right. Then you are allowed to take breakfast." Yes. So this training there are
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- I am not displeased with any of my disciples. A father can not be displeased with his sons, but sometimes the sons create disturbances, and the father has to tolerate
- I am so proud to have such spiritual sons and daughters like you, who are so humble in their dealings but who are so high in their spiritual understanding
- I have given this example of my practical experience in 1925 or '26 when my son was two years old. There was a table fan, "I would like to touch it." And I said: "No, don't touch." This is child
- I have left my hearth and home in India but here by the Grace of the Lord I have got good sons and daughter like you
- I have received your (Mr & Mrs Kimmel) kind offering of guava jam through your daughter, Urvasi devi dasi. I wanted to thank you very much for becoming so much interested in our Krishna Consciousness movement
- I request all my spiritual sons and daughters to help me in this great adventure, and if you all help me, I am sure I shall be successful
- I thank you very much for your letter dated nil, and I have carefully noted the contents. I have the same feeling upon you as my beloved son. And I still maintain the feeling hoping you will be a great help in the Krsna Consciousness Movement
- I want that all of my spiritual sons and daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedanta, so that the family transcendental diploma will continue through the generations
- It is also nice that you are caring for the devotees. They have left everything for me, so they should be treated as sons and daughters
- It is only because Krishna has somehow or other given me such assistants as yourselves that I have got any success I appreciate your helping me in this way, you are more dear to me than my own daughters
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- My dear sons and daughters, I am so much obliged to you that you have become so enthusiastic for offering Vyasa-puja. Now try to understand
- My future hope is you all good spiritual sons. Still I am taking as much care as possible. My only desire is that you all good boys may take up the matter very seriously
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- Nobody in this world likes to be defeated by somebody else, but the father when he is defeated by the son feels more pleasure
- Now good boys like yourself and all my other spiritual sons and daughters all around the world have been giving me great hope that I may be able to successfully fulfill my Guru Maharaja's plan
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- One of my son in child . . . when I was young man, he was very naughty. So sometimes we used to put him on the rack. He could not get down. So he was feeling so uncomfortable because his activities stopped on the rack. So you cannot stop activity
- One who will pass this examination will be awarded with the title of Bhaktivedanta. I want that all of my spiritual sons & daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedanta, so that the family transcendental diploma will continue through the generations
- Only five years back I was sitting alone under a tree in your park thinking that perhaps no one will join me, but let me try. Now I have got so many wonderful sons and daughters, that we require huge arrangement for chanting in the park
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- Radha and Krishna have been so much merciful upon me to have given me so many nice spiritual sons and daughters as yourselves
- Regarding Kirtanananda, I cannot allow him to become Keith again. He is my spiritual son and I shall never allow him to fall down. When I return I shall drag him forcibly and make all right again
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- Shaktimata Devi Dasi whom you know from London. She is presently in Nairobi & is looking for a good husband for her daughter. She wrote one letter appealing that you might consider marrying her daughter. So, if you are agreeable then I have not objection
- So far I am concerned, because our relationship is father and son, so nobody will be more satisfied than me by seeing your successful preaching work
- So far my going there, it is not very important thing - I may go or not go, my beloved spiritual sons are there, and they are acting very nicely. That is my great satisfaction
- So far my health is concerned, you know that it is a broken old house. You cannot expect as good as you are doing. So my future hope is you all good spiritual sons
- So far you are concerned, I request all my spiritual sons and daughters to help me in this great adventure, and if you all help me, I am sure I shall be successful
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- When I first came to your country I had no idea how much the American people would cooperate with my Krsna Consciousness .But now good boys like yourself and all my other spiritual sons and daughters all around the world have been giving me great hope
- When I initiated you, I accepted you on that very moment as my daughter. So you are eternally my daughter and I am your father
- When I left home, as a dutiful father I left some money for my family as future provision, So practically the money belongs to my sons and daughters
- When the disciple or the son is grown up, if he is chastised, then he breaks. So before being chastised, we should be conscious that "This is our rules and regulation. We must observe"
- When there is something fearful the child, it is nature, closes the eyes. I have practical experience. When I was young man I went to the zoo with my little son and as soon as there was a tiger cage, oh, the child closed the eyes
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- You are better than my own son
- You have accepted me as father, so I have also accepted you as my dear and real son. Relationship of father & son on spiritual platform is real and eternal, on the material platform such relationship is ephemeral and temporary
- You have begged for my blessings and I give them to you because you are my spiritual son and I have taken responsibility for engaging you in the service of Krsna
- You have given this chance to your beloved son to be saved from the repetition of birth and death, and your good example must be followed by all mothers in America
- You have written that you are my disobedient son, but I think I am your disturbing father. I am putting more and more burden upon you but you are so tolerant that you have no hesitation to accept my demands even although sometimes they are unreasonable
- You insist, so Krsna, in disgust, says: "All right, do at your own risk. You rascal. You will not hear Me." That's all. I have given this example many times, that my son wanted to touch the table fan