Category:We Were (Disciples of SP)
Theme Analysis
The transformation of conditioned souls into pure devotees is a central miracle of the preaching mission. When guiding his followers, the founder of the movement frequently contrasts their past material habits with their present elevated state to foster deep appreciation. By reminding them of what they were prior to taking up spiritual life, he simultaneously reveals their hidden spiritual history—explaining that they were actually advanced practitioners in past lives who took birth in the West specifically to assist his worldwide preaching efforts.
- Rescued from Degraded Habits: Before encountering the absolute truth, many Western youth were deeply entrenched in destructive behaviors such as intoxication, meat-eating, and suicidal materialism.
- The Divine Purpose of Western Births: Rather than being ordinary conditioned souls, the early disciples were often advanced in yoga during their previous lives, taking birth in America and Europe under divine arrangement to help spread the mission.
- Appreciating the Contrast: By regularly comparing their past miseries with their present blissful condition, practitioners develop profound gratitude for the purifying potency of the holy name and the mercy of the disciplic succession.
- Nostalgic Recollections of Service: Reflecting on the early days of the movement, the spiritual master affectionately remembers the specific moments his disciples were enthusiastically chanting, driving, and assisting him in establishing the first centers.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Prabhupāda Reminds His Disciples What They Were Before Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Pages in category "We Were (Disciples of SP)"
The following 50 pages are in this category, out of 50 total.
I
- I always remember his smiling face and when I was in Hamburg he was my constant companion and my personal attendant also
- I am very glad to hear from you that Berlin centre is progressing nicely under your expert supervision. You are one of my older disciples. I think you were the first devotee in European continent, so now you have got good experience how to do things well
- I say that you cannot take meat, you cannot smoke. So all my students, they were accustomed to this habit, but by my order they have restrained
- I very much appreciate both yours and your brother's activities and it appears that both of you were in your previous birth advanced in this line of Krishna Consciousness, and here is another chance to complete it
- If you have got little intelligence, then you can see Krsna. We were explaining that, "The taste of the water, I am." So don't you taste water? Then the taste is Krsna. What is the difficulty?
- In 1930, we were paying servant twelve to fourteen rupees per month, and they were satisfied. With food, six rupees. And without food, twelve rupees, fourteen
- In 7 Bury Place we were congested. So we were feeling. Krsna immediately supplied you this, Bhaktivedanta Manor, "Take it"
- In India, in British period, every officers had to learn the local language. We were student in the Scottish Church College. Our all professors were Europeans, but during their service they had to learn Bengali
- In L.A. things are going on very nicely and just this week 40 new devotees were initiated. So the stock of japa beads I brought with me has been depleted
- In the past you were sending me the dried banana, so you please resume sending me. The day after tomorrow I am starting for Los Angeles, so I would like to receive some of that dried banana from you
- In Yadu-vamsa Krsna ordered all the devotee demigods to "Go and take birth there to help Me." Similarly, you were born in Europe, America, to help this. Otherwise you were devotees in your past lives. I have explained that in my recent writings
- In your young age you have taken to this process of Krishna Consciousness. This means that in your previous life you were advanced in yoga but somehow or other you were not able to complete but now you have taken to it as if automatically
- It is a big establishment and sometimes disagreement happens and I am helpless. I am enquiring from Mayapur why you were asked to leave there. If you want to take initiation from Madhava Gosvami Maharaja I have no objection
- It was also informed to me by Umapati that all of you along with George were in Paris for some television engagement. Did you find any suitable place for our Temple in Paris?
J
- Just coming here from Philadelphia we were talking with the aeroplane crews, the captain, the pilot. They were very patiently hearing us. The question was very intelligent the pilot made, that "If everything is created by God" Yes. That is a fact
- Just like in our Krsna consciousness you can get one example. Just like in 7 Bury Place we were congested. So we were feeling. Krsna immediately supplied you this, Bhaktivedanta Manor: "Take it." Huh? You cannot construct this house even in your own life
- Just like we were discussing this point, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is pancaratriki-vidhi. Without following these principles, the so-called devotional service, hari-bhakti, utpata, simply a disturbance
- Just like we were saying that everything belongs to Krsna. So where is the . . . any religious feeling? Everything belongs to Krsna, how you can say no? Can you say
- Just like when we were chanting Hare Krsna, all the members who were assembled here were joining in, but when I am now talking about philosophy, some are leaving. It is very practical to see
M
- Mimeograph. Ha, ha, ha. So we were selling about five hundred copies, and gradually . . . But still, Tamala Krsna was selling almost major portion
- Most of you were, in your former life, you were smoking or taking intoxication. But by some influence, if you sometimes take to it, yes, if you are conscious, "Oh, I have done wrong," but that is excused if you have done unconscious
P
- Please be engaged in the service of Lord Krishna very enthusiastically. You are my old disciple and I know how much enthusiastically you were working in the beginning
- Presently I am in Calcutta where we just held a very successful "Hare Krishna Festival" and we were drawing 35,000 people daily for hearing discourses on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, for seeing Aratik and taking prasadam also
T
- The other day you were asking me about the wages, labor. So our point is the devotees shall work. So there is no program to pay wages
- This morning we were discussing this point, mirage. In the mirage there is a show of false water, and the animal runs after it. But there is no water, and finally he becomes more thirsty, and it is desert; he falls down and dies
W
- We may mention an incident that took place between two of our sannyasis while we were preaching the Hare Krsna maha-mantra in Hyderabad. One of them stated that Hare Rama refers to Sri Balarama, and the other protested that Hare Rama means Lord Rama
- We were discussing Prahlada Maharaja's . . . how he is experienced of this material way of life. It is all useless. So by following this mahajana devotees we can make our life perfect
- We were just reading from the statement of NavBharat Times how they are well managed. But we have no business. We have no source of income. That is the only source of income - Krsna's shelter
- We were saved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Road. We shall always expect to be saved by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaj Prabhupada. Always pray to His Lotus Feet
- What is the use of opening big, big factory? Ugra-karma. What it has helped? You were talking on behalf of them. What it has helped? Keeping them, innocent men, women, they are kept in that factory simply for livelihood
- When we established a Krsna-Balarama temple in Vrndavana, we were obliged to have Vedic ceremonies enacted by brahmanas because the inhabitants of Vrndavana, especially the smarta-brahmanas, would not accept Europeans and Americans as bona fide brahmanas
- When we were in danger, there was so much obstruction for constructing the temple, and we prayed to Krsna that it should stopped. We prayed to Krsna, "Please give Your protection." That is for Visnu's purpose
- When you were chanting in L.A. temple in the evenings, or in the mornings, I enjoyed your chanting so nicely that I thought myself immediately carried to Vaikuntha
- While we were chanting Hare Krsna, these groups of youngsters were chanting, "Hog! Hog! Hog!" They were actually parading with hogs in Central park and bowing down before them and worshiping them
- While you were driving your car and I was sitting by you hearing your transcendental vibration, this very sincere attempt has enriched your consciousness and my only instruction is that you may constantly do this habit without fail
Y
- Yes, you can go on with your book distribution as you were doing before, there is not any harm. I thought that our men were becoming like hippies, but now I understand from you that that is not the case. So I have no objection
- Yesterday we were discussing about the Kali-yuga: the most fallen age. People are most degraded. So there is, by calculation, that seventy-five percent irreligion and twenty-five percent religion in comparison to other ages
- You are in the midst of unfavorable circumstances as much as you were when you were in Pakistan. So Krishna is desiring that you deliver these persons who are in very awkward circumstances within this material world
- You remember, you were driving your father's car, eighty miles. So I asked you, "Don't go so fast"
- You were originally entrusted with the responsibility of that branch, as you helped start it, and so it is your duty now to help maintain it, even you are not present there
- You were saved from a commitment of suicide. So you have seen the mantra in Isopanisad: ye ke catma-hano janah So not only you, but almost all the conditioned souls within this material world, practically 99% of the whole population is committing suicide
- You were saying that Krsna is within the heart, but who is seeing? It is seen by the bhakti-yogis, because he has got love for Krsna. A bhakta is always seeing, - Krsna is within me
- You were to start for London by the beginning of November, if Miss B gives us her cooperation and Kirtanananda is successful in his mission you will reach there timely
- You write to say how enthusiasm dropped because you were divorcing yourself from temple activities for GBC work. I never said like that