Category:Told Me (Prabhupada)
Theme Analysis
Throughout his remarkable journey, Śrīla Prabhupāda received numerous instructions, observations, and reports from a wide variety of individuals. The most defining and unshakeable of these were the direct words his Guru Mahārāja told him, primarily the foundational instruction to print and distribute transcendental literature. Alongside these perfect spiritual directives, Śrīla Prabhupāda also recounts encounters with worldly figures—from atheistic professors and mundane scientists to ordinary friends and disciples. Whether he was navigating the flawed philosophical conclusions of scholars or dealing with the administrative reports of his followers, his anchor always remained the absolute truth he heard from his spiritual master. This collection reveals his unwavering faith and his expert ability to contextualize all worldly statements within the perfect framework of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- The Order to Print Books: The central pillar of Śrīla Prabhupāda's mission was the personal instruction he received from his Guru Mahārāja, who emphatically told him to use any available funds to publish books rather than simply constructing temples.
- Encounters with Worldly Scholars: Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently recounted his conversations with intellectuals, such as Professor Kotovsky, who told him that life ends with the body, using these encounters to highlight the spiritual bankruptcy of modern education.
- Guidance from Devotees and Godbrothers: He navigated various historical and practical situations based on what he was told by his Godbrothers and disciples, always keeping the broader preaching mission as the ultimate priority despite any personal struggles.
- Dealing with Deficiencies: When disciples told him about the faults, financial mismanagement, or spiritual struggles of others, Śrīla Prabhupāda responded with a fatherly concern, seeking to protect and save his spiritual children from danger.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: What They Told Me - Prabhupāda on Instructions and Encounters.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
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Pages in category "Told Me (Prabhupada)"
The following 37 pages are in this category, out of 37 total.
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- Bali Mardan has told me that you have - no inclination to supervise or check regularly on these financial matters, and thus it is left to a Treasurer who is also not very competent
- Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati personally told me that publishing books is more important than constructing temples. Of course, those same instructions remained within my mind for many years
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- I am sorry to inform you that your co-founder Hayagriva Prabhu is little disturbed. Sometimes before you told about him participating in intoxication. Then I did not take it seriously, but the same thing is again revived and I am little perturbed
- I am speaking not my manufacture. I heard it from my Guru Maharaja. He told me that these are these, like that. Not unauthorized. I don't speak anything which I have not heard from my Guru Maharaja
- I am very glad to hear of your translating work there. This is very encouraging. Please continue it with full enthusiasm. I was told by Brahmananda Svami that you have finished 3 chapters of Gita already
- I blindly follow my guru maharaj. I do not know what is the result. So I am stressing on this point of book distribution. He told me this personally
- I have already sent you one note about Pradyumna's hospital bill, & as soon as I hear from you, I shall arrange to send you $500 from my personal book fund. I am told by some of my students here that it is very easy to pay the bills by small installment
- I may inform you in this connection about my family life. Actually, I never liked my wife. I was going to marry another, but my father saved me from the danger and he told me that you do not like your wife, that is the grace of Krishna
- I remember the words of my Guru Maharaja when he told me that wherever there was money it should be used to print books, not that we shall have big big temples and then fight in the court
- If he had no desire to go to London he would have plainly told me like that. It has certainly given me a great shock. He is one of my very faithful disciples and if he does like that how can I prosecute my programmes
- If you can confirm to me that there will be no charge for depositing, then I can send you checks. So please tell me what to do
- In San Francisco one of our friends told me that long ago he left his young children and went to another country. Recently a letter came from his grown-up son, and at once the father remembered his affection for him and sent some money
- In the last line of your letter you say that you wish to write me very soon to tell me that the Berlin branch of ISKCON has been opened. This is very nice
- In Vrndavana, Nrsimha-vallabha Gosvami, you know? He comes to me. He says, "So many people are jealous upon you." I say that first of all you create something like me. Then you become jealous
- It is due to the blessing of my Guru Maharaja. He directly told me that "If you get some money, publish some books." I took it seriously, so he's helping me. All our Godbrothers, they didn't take it
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- Many times I have been told by other so-called holy men that I should not expect that foreigners will be able to avoid these sinful activities
- My Guru Maharaja told me personally that "If you get some money, print books." Therefore I am stressing on this point: "Where is book? Where is book? Where is book?" So kindly help me. This is my request. Print as many books in as many languages
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- One big medical man in Gaya, he told me that "Mr. De," that, "we give very first class medicine to a patient, to my best knowledge. He dies. And I try one small medicine, and he is saved. That is my practical experience." He was Muhammadan doctor
- One gentleman told me that Professor Einstein, he was also reading Bhagavad-gita daily. Hitler was reading. Such, such big, big men. But I know many scholars, even Muhammadans, they also read Bhagavad-gita
- One of my German Godbrothers, he told me in 1935 that in the last world war, many people became atheists
- One of my students told me that in the last war in the concentrated camp, the human being, they also ate their stool out of hunger. You see? There was no food, so they ate their own stool
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- She should not have gone like that. If she did not like, she should have frankly told me. This is not good
- So far your telling me that some devotees consider that because there may be some grammatical discrepancies in my Srimad-Bhagavatam, first canto, then they may also be allowed to translate with errors accepted, that is just like imitating Raslila
- 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
- Sometimes before you told about him participating in intoxication. Then I did not take it seriously, but the same thing is again revived and I am little perturbed. So is it possible to save him from this dangerous position
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- There was one Mr. Badhuri in Benares. He was a great astrologer. So he told me that from Benares the Germans have taken three books: one is Akasa-patola, one is Kapota-vahi and his Khapoda-vahi. Khapoda-vahi, this aeroplane
- They thought, "This man is grhastha. He is embarassed with family life. What he'll do?" That was their impression. But I never neglected. Guru Maharaja told me
- This is the blessing of my Guru Maharaja. He wanted it. And because we are trying to do this, he is giving us all blessings. He told me personally, "I wanted to sell this marble and publish some books"
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- You may send to ISKCON Press for any small literatures which are available, such as "Easy Journey" and "Topmost Yoga." I am told that ISKCON Press has recently printed a large stock of these two books
- You told me you could help me in getting a permanent visa; you also asked me to see you when I return. But if in the meantime you come back to India, then I request you to leave a note to your successor about this, or better yet, obtain the visa now