Category:I Had (Prabhupada)
Theme Analysis
The category examining the phrase "I had" reveals Śrīla Prabhupāda’s deep reliance on faith, his personal history of sacrifice, and the evolution of his worldwide mission. First, he frequently reflected on what he didn't have when he started: he had no money, no shelter, no followers, and no formal backing, arriving in America with only forty rupees and a few books. Second, he emphasized what he did have: absolute faith in the order of his spiritual master, an unshakeable belief that Kṛṣṇa was protecting him, and the enthusiasm to preach despite intense difficulties. Third, he spoke about the personal sacrifices he had to make, leaving behind a successful business, his family, and cultural comforts, sometimes living in conditions he described as "hell" according to Vedic standards. Finally, he expressed immense gratitude for the pious young men and women he eventually found, noting how his initial solitary struggle transformed into a global movement because he had the cooperation of sincere disciples. Through these reflections, Śrīla Prabhupāda demonstrated how complete surrender to his guru’s order turns apparent destitution into unimaginable spiritual success.
- Starting with Nothing but Faith: He repeatedly recalled arriving in America with only forty rupees, no shelter, and no students, armed only with books and faith in his guru.
- The Supreme Value of his Guru’s Order: He had the order of his spiritual master to preach in English, which gave him the strength and qualification to cross the ocean in his old age.
- Sacrifice and Hardship for Preaching: He detailed the personal sacrifices he had to make, leaving a comfortable family life and business, and enduring great difficulties and uncomfortable living situations in the West.
- The Transformation through Cooperation: He reflected on how his initial lonely struggle changed dramatically when he found eager, sincere disciples who helped him expand the movement worldwide.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: I Had - Prabhupāda's Journey of Faith, Sacrifice, and Success.
Pages in category "I Had (Prabhupada)"
The following 89 pages are in this category, out of 89 total.
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A
- At the age of 70 I had the energy to go outside India and apart from other various duties, engage myself in writing books even at night without sleep. All these have been done in accordance with the direction of my Prabhupada Gurudeva
- At the present status, I have no legal obligation to my family. Before taking to Sannyas, what ever little money I had I have given to them
F
- For me to publish alone the first three volumes, I had to take so much trouble, but by the cooperation of you American boys and girls now this has become possible
- For me, personally, I had the opportunity to talk with my spiritual master not more than ten times in my whole life, not more. It may be less than that. But I tried to follow his instruction, that's all, although I was a grhastha
- Fortunately, we had the good opportunity of learning bhagavata-dharma from our very childhood. My father was a devotee, and he trained us
- Four or five years ago, I came here, I had no student. I was loitering in the street. Nobody was caring for me. Now I have got hundreds and thousands of student. They are executing my order simply out of love
I
- I (Prabhupada) was not very happy when I had to minimize my original manuscript. But later on, when the demand for BG As It Is considerably increased, I was requested by many scholars and devotees to present the book in its original form. BG 1972 Preface
- I am not qualified, but only qualification is that I tried to do the best, that's all. That much qualification. I had faith in their program, and I thought, "I shall try my best, whatever capacity I have got." That's all
- I came to your country in ripe old age, but I had one asset: enthusiasm and faith in my Spiritual Master
- I did not go to your country taking Vrndavana with me. I had to stay in places where in the refrigerator there is meat. And I was cooking. When opened it I saw, "Here is meat. All right, what can be done? Hare Krsna." That's all
- I had a body like this, say, fifty years ago or sixty years ago, but that body is now missing. I have got a different body. So everyone is changing body in this way
- I had also very much affection for Amrtananda, but if, as you report, there was some connection with Krishna at the last moment, then we have not to doubt that he will get good opportunity to advance further in Krishna Consciousness
- I had been feeling lonely although I had the mission of starting this Krishna Consciousness movement. So Krishna sent you to me, and therefore our meeting was also the desire of Krishna
- I had empowered you to chant the beads on my behalf, so henceforth, as long as I am away from America and Canada
- I had full faith that my Guru Maharaja is with me. I never lost this faith, and that is fact
- I had good opportunities to become a very rich businessman. An astrologer even told me that I should have become as rich as the wealthiest man in India. There were very good chances
- I had no desire to accept the sannyasa order and preach, but my spiritual master wanted it. I am not very much inclined, but he forced me. That is also done. That is special favor
- I had no quarrel with them
- I had only forty rupees with me, and a return ticket in the Scindia Navigation Companies. So for two, three months, six months, there was no response. I was simply maintaining myself by selling my books
- I had part of your letter read aloud to a group of devotees how you have one cow who will be giving 70-80 pounds a day
- I had planned to preach so much here. But all the work is postponed due to my health deteriorating. Certainly the disciples are doing their best but they need to learn a lot. It is all possible if Krsna bestows His mercy
- I had some argument with my Spiritual Master, and at the end I was defeated. But at that time, because I was already married, I could not take His words very seriously
- I had some difficulty in staying in my rooms at Radha Damodara Temple. They want me to go away and are now picking up some quarrel with me to get me out of my possession
- I had some difficulty with language difficulty to preach, but still I could see how pious they were and eager to listen anyway. That is the only qualification, if someone is eager for spiritual improvement
- I had some discussion with her that she will go to India and help in constructing our temple there. So now we are getting our land there and if she is able to help in this connection, then her going to India will be a great service to Krsna
- I had some experience in my childhood, in 1911. I was thirteen years old. There was a riot. So our house was there in Mahatma Gandhi Road, and all sides Muhammadans
- I had to leave my own family and children because I was unable to tolerate seeing them remain servants of their senses. All the American children who are staying with me have shaved their heads, have mala and tilaka and always follow my orders
- I have also seen the copy of the book you gave to Bali Mardan das. This edition can be easily had in Calcutta, so it is not necessary for us to keep it
- I have not heard from you for some time, so I had become worried what is your position. As GBC man you should become very responsible to see that the highest standards of Krishna Consciousness should be maintained all over the Society
- I replied Him at that time, who would care for the message of Lord Caitanya while we are a subject nation? In this way, I had some argument with my Spiritual Master, and at the end I was defeated
- I started this movement in 1967 in New York, in a small scale. I went there in 1965, and for one year I had no shelter, neither any means to maintain myself. I had some books only, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and some way or other, I pulled on
- I thank you very much that you have already allotted a nice apartment for me, an entire first floor, so if I had the wings of a dove I could fly immediately to Brooklyn and enter my apartment
- I wasn't very much in comfortable situation. Still I had the strength of mind, and I continued to stay
- If I had been a little liberal and called it "God conscious", all rascals would have brought, "Here is my God"
- If you question me that "Swamiji, why you have taken sannyasa?" You may ask that question. Yes. So I may tell you frankly that I had no desire to accept this sannyasa
- In India I had one father who raised me a Krishna Conscious child, but in America I have got many fathers who are reminding me always of Krishna
- In India we had British rule. The Governor General, he was Viceroy. So he was given honor, as much honor we used to give to the king. So that is the etiquette
- In Mathura and Vrndavana, where we had a chance to stay, people are awake from early in the morning at 4 A.M. up until nighttime and are constantly engaged, some way or other, in chanting the holy glories of the Lord
- In Mauritius for the first time in my life I had to meet a very disastrous type of motor accident. We were four in motor carriage, the driver, Brahmananda Swami, Pusta Krsna Swami and myself
- In my opinion, it is better to travel and preach than open business. I had a nice business, one of the best in India, and Krishna took it all away, and now I am very much thankful
- In our childhood we had the occasion of taking part in a drama, Caitanya-lila. I took the part of Advaita, and our friends, others, somebody took the part of Caitanya, Nityananda. So that drama was so successful, it was unique in Calcutta
- It is a fact that the hippies are our best clients. I had very good response in San Francisco during Rathayatra festival
J
- Just before His Divine Grace passed away at Jagannatha Puri, I wrote him a letter asking what I could do to serve him. In reply, he wrote me a letter ordering me to preach in English the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as I had heard it from him
- Just like because I love Krsna, therefore I have come to your country. I had no business to come to your country naturally. But we are preaching this Krsna consciousness movement means we love everyone
M
- Mr. George Harrison appears to be very intelligent boy, and he is by the Grace of Krishna fortunate also. On the first day, he came to see me along with John Lennon, and we had talks about 2 hours. He wanted to talk with me more
- My mission has come out a success by the mercy of my guru maharaj who sent me on this mission. That was my only qualification in coming to your country, that I had the blessings of my guru maharaj
- My only idea was to point out to the public that unless you have purified leaders there is no possibility of advancement even in the material condition. I had no idea to spend money and energy of our society in a way which is not our real spiritual life
O
- On the very moment I received your letter there was another letter from Jaya Govinda, and I had been very much shocked by this letter. But at the same time, when I read your letter it counter-acted this shock. So I thank you again for this letter
- On Vyasa Puja day we had a very nice ceremony in the temple where the Vyasa Puja booklet was read aloud by Hayagriva, who is travelling with me during this European tour
- Once we had the opportunity to meet Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, and on first sight he requested this humble self to preach his message in the Western countries
P
R
- Recently one cardiologist, a doctor, he has accepted that there is soul - in Montreal and Toronto. I had some correspondence with him. And he is strongly in belief that there is soul. So that is another point of view
- Recently we had talks with Christian leaders in Australia, including the Catholic Bishop of Melbourne, and everyone there was pleased with our philosophy of oneness in religious consciousness
- Recently, I had sent one letter to reply Tusta Krsna's questions about Siddha Svarupa, namely, that Siddha Svarupa may be pure devotee, but so all of you are also pure devotees
S
- Since I have come to America I have not heard anything from you. In the beginning I had to write two or three letter to your revered father, but I did not receive any reply from him
- Since I have come to the United States of America I had several correspondence with Sripad Govinda Maharaj
- So at that time, there was no sale of Back to Godhead. I was publishing about one thousand copies and distributing. So there was no income. I was spending three hundred, four hundred rupees from my pocket. At that time, I had income
- So far your becoming GBC is concerned, yes, I had wanted that, but there are so many complaints. This is not good. GBC must mean that by his managing, there is not any complaints so that I can be relieved in order to do my translation work
- So far your telling me that some other devotees discouraged you in the past, I also had trouble with some of my Godbrothers, but I never let it affect my service
- Some days before we had a talk regarding the property of Kanthaltala (Maternal uncle's house). Please have a discussion for purchasing that land. We want to keep our remembrance with that land
- Sometimes back, when I was searching a house, and I didn't yet open any center at 26 Second Avenue, I liked this Chatham Tower very much. But at that time, I had no means; neither I have means just now
T
- The example of dhira is given in the Kumara-sambhava poetry, by Kalidasa. We had our syllabus studying Kumara-sambhava in our I.A. class in college
- This is His special mercy upon me and I always think about this with gratitude to this exalted personality coming directly from Vaikuntha World and we had the great fortune to meet Him
W
- We accept the oldest thing. Don't think that we have manufactured something. For this reason I had many correspondences - you have seen also - with Dr. Staal of the California University. I protested, that, - This is not a new thing
- We also had the same opportunity to cheat the family members and leave home to engage in the service of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Such cheating was necessary for a great cause, and there is no loss for any party in such transcendental fraud
- We had a very big struggle in Bombay for our land. So they wanted to break our temple to drive away. It was a great commotion. All Bombay people know it
- We had a very nice meeting in the California State College it was grand successful. They are going to arrange again like that in Berkeley college where they are expecting three thousand audience
- We had previously received copies of the Swahili language publication of Topmost Yoga System from Brahmananda Swami and it is very nicely done. This printing and distribution of our literature is most important aspect of our propaganda work
- We had the opportunity to receive a similar blessing from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami when we presented an essay at his birthday ceremony
- We require so many pictures for our temples which are already present and which will be opened in the future. Immediately upon receipt of your picture, I had it hung right above my Deity room. Wherever I go I convert one closet into my Deity room
- We respected our professors like our father. The relationship between the student and the professors was very good. I had one Scottish professor, Dr. W. S. Urquhart. He was my nice friend. He was professor of philosophy, psychology
- When a disciple misunderstands a bona fide spiritual master, the master regrets for his inability to protect the disciple and sometimes he cries with tears in the eyes. We had an experience while my Guru Maharaja was alive
- When I came to your country first, I had no center. But who has provided all these hundred temples, big, big palaces, temples? To remain under the protection of Krsna you get so much facility. Why not be grateful to Krsna?
- 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 first came to your country I had no idea how much the American people would cooperate with my Krsna Consciousness mission
- When I left my home for your country in 1965 alone, the government would not allow me to take any money. I had only a few book and forty rupees, Indian forty rupees
- When I went to your country, actually sometimes I had to live in a hell according to our Indian standard, Vedic standard. So what can be done? Hell or heaven, I have to do my duty
- Why you are serving me? If I had been an ordinary person, why...? You would have not... Because you accept that "You are devotee," therefore you serve. So as soon as we find a devotee, immediately serve him
Y
- Yesterday we had a very successful meeting in the University of Nairobi; the exact words used in the newspaper report as follows: ISKCON SWAMI EXPLAINS PHILOSOPHY
- You must think of your health. I had already noticed a deterioration when I was in N.Y., and now you say it has gotten worse. That is not good, and you must correct it. So do the needful
- You were ready to bear my passage expenses from India to South America. And as I could not get the No objection certificate I had to postpone the journey. This time there is no such question & the passage expenses to Japan are far less than South America
- Young children should be educated from the very beginning about God consciousness or the science of God. We had the opportunity in our childhood. My father taught