Vaisnava Etiquette by Bhakticaru Swami

8/16/2019 Vaisnava Etiquette by Bhakticaru Swami

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Vaisnava Etiquette by Bhakti Caru Swamiwith Quotes from Srila Prabhupada

Introductory Lecture.........................................1

Becoming a Vaisnava Devotee of Krsna.........................9

Basic Principles of Vaisnava Behavior........................11

More on the Behavior of a Vaisnava...........................1

Vaisnava Behavior is Inspiring for !veryone..................1"

!ti#uette $ithin %elationships...............................1&

'reating (omen as Mothers....................................)

Vaisnava *paradha............................................)+

Dressing Li,e a Vaisnava.....................................)&

-orrecting thers............................................)9 !ti#uette in Management......................................

'emple %oom !ti#uette........................................"

/erving 0uests and Life Memers..............................&

/erving and 2onoring Prasad .................................9

Kirtana !ti#uette............................................3)

!ti#uette in Pulic..........................................3

!ti#uette in 2oly Places.....................................3+

Indian Brahmanas4 Mayavadis4 and other /ampradayas...........3&

Vai5nava !tti#uette Introduction6

1. Lord -aitanya spea,ing to 7r8la /antana 0os$ami6 %eadthis passage from -aitanya:caritm;ta4 as given y Bha,ti -aruMahr


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'he greatest prolem in spiritual life is Vaisnava aparadha4 oraparadha generally. /o Vaisnava eti#uette means ho$ to avoid that.Bha,ti -aru Mahr

). It is ,no$n as sadacara ? eternal standard of activities.. Lord -aitanya tells 7r8la /antana 0os$ami that eti#uette isthe ornament of the devotee. /tory of 7r8la /antana 0os$ami

going to visit Lord -aitanya y the route y the each instead ofpast the temple ecause he $as $orried aout contaminating thepu


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Day 2

1. Preahin! aompanied with Vai"#ava etiquette$ (ehave to push for$ard this movement4 and $e may get caught upin the activities of pushing4 and forget aout Vai5Aava eti#uette.2o$ever4 there is an echange et$een 7r8la /antana 0os$amiand 2aridas 'ha,ura in $hich 7r8la /antana 0os$ami praises

2aridas6 G-c *ntya 1):H

apane acara ,eha na ,are pracara pracara ,arena ,eha na ,arena acara

/ome ehave very $ell ut do not preach the cult of K;5Aaconsciousness4 $hereas others preach ut do not ehave properly.

acara pracara :: namera ,araha dui ,arya tumi :: sarva guru tumi

. %ne ma&or omponent in Vai"#ava etiquette' humility$ne of the main parts of Vai5Aava eti#uette is humility. It isconsidered so important that Lord K;5Aa lists it as the @rst part of,no$ledge in Bhagavad:g8t GamanitvamH. /ome #uotes from 7r8laPrahupda6 'o Patita ddharan G1)O1)O&3H =/o $e all have tocooperate amongst ourselves4 other$ise $hat $ill people thin, if $eourselves @ght $ith one anotherC * devotee is al$ays ideal in

ehavior.> /P Letter to 0argamuni )O+O"9 our humlerepentance is /P Letter to Dindayal )O)O&Krishna is so very merciful to those $ho are very humle in theirattitude engaged in service of the Lord. Lord -haitanta advised4therefore4 one should e humler than the stra$ and more tolerantthan the tree and thus e seriously engaged in glorifying the Lord.

'his $orld is very a$ful. *nyone is ready to create some disturance4especially they are very much apt to distur Krishna -onsciousness

persons ecause that is the $ay of demoniac life. /o4 in order toprotect us from all dangerous elements4 $e have to chant the 2areKrishna Mantra regularly eing humler than the stra$ and moretolerant than the tree. 'hen Krishna4 (ho is Dindayal4 $ill esto$ 2is


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Mercy upon us. /P Letter to FO1FO& pendra ou are good foreverything ut your attitude to remain good for nothing is very nice.* Vaisnava is al$ays humle and mee,4 and he is never puQed:up4even he has got the highest #ualities of demigods.

() Vaisnava behaviour is inspirin! *see Bhakti Caru+ah,r,&a p)--.

+. Vai"#ava etiquette within relationships$ /ee verse intranscript p.1&. %ead through list on p.13. 'al, aout use of term

prahu4 transcript p.1+ 'o serve the spiritual master includes servinghis disciples. %ead some of the #uotes from letters on p.1+:1".". Vai"#ava etiquette in re!ard to dealin! between se/es)

/ee transcript p.19&. Dan!ers of Vai"#ava etiquette) 0ransript p)2-)

Particularly the list of 3 things $e should not laspheme a Vaisnavafor ? p.)1. *ove that4 verse saying ho$ $e should greet Vaisnavas.

F. Dressin! like a Vaisnava) /ee transcript p. )). /ections6 1.0eneral. ). 7r8la PrahupdaEs o$n standard. . Muslim story. 3.7r8la PrahupdaEs appreciation of /atsvarupa and %upanuga$earing tila,a to $or,.

9. Corretin! others is very sensitive' see p) ).

1ntrodutory Class eture

!iven by 3is 3oliness Bhakti Caru Swami

IRd li,e to $elcome you all to our classes on Vaisnava !ti#uette. 'han, you for coming. IRll egin y reading some #uotes from-aitanya -aritamrta4 the instructions of -aitanya Mahaprahu to/anatana 0os$ami4 on sadacara::the activities of a Vaisnava.

7r8 -aitanya Mahaprahu instructed /anatana 0osvami to $riteVaisnava /mrtiG2ari Bha,ti VilasaH in --. Madhya lila )3.)3:336 Solding his hands4/anatana0osvami said4 My Lord4 ou ordered me to $rite a directory aoutthe activities of

Vaisnavas. I am a most lo$orn person. I have no ,no$ledge of goodehavior. 2o$ is it possile for me to $rite authoriJed directionsaout Vaisnava activitiesC /anatana 0osvami then re#uested theLord4 Please personally tell me ho$ I can $rite this diTcult oo,aout Vaisnava ehavior. Please manifest ourself in my heart. If ou$ould please manifest ourself $ithin my heart and personally directme in $riting this oo,4 then4 although I am lo$orn4 I may hope toe ale to $rite it. ou can do this ecause ou are the /upremePersonality of 0odhead ourself and $hatever ou direct is perfect.

7r8 -aitanya Mahaprahu replied4 (hatever you $ant to do you $ill

e ale to do correctly y Lord K;5AaRs favor. 2e $ill manifest thereal purport. Because you as,ed Me for a synopsis4 please hear thesefe$ indications. In the eginning one must ta,e


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shelter of a ona @de spiritual master. In your oo, there should ethe characteristics of the ona @de guru and the ona @de disciple.

'hen4 efore accepting a spiritual master4 one can e assured of thespiritual masterRs position. /imilarly4 the spiritual master can also eassured of the discipleRs position. 'he /upreme Personality of0odhead4 K;5Aa4 should e descried as the $orshipale o


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rose petal and heRs as hard as a thunderolt. * Vaisnava is not onlysoft4 ut if necesary he can ecome hard. 'hat sho$s that Vaisnavasare not $ea,lings. Vaisnavas are very4 very po$erful. Both physicallyand spiritually. *ctually it is thespiritual po$er that endo$s them $ith the physical po$er.

Vaisnavas should not e disrespectful to anyone. ne should al$ayse respectful to others ut should not demand respect for himself.

amanina manadena

* Vaisnava is adosa darsi. * Vaisnava never sees otherRs faults. fcourse4 every human eing has good #ualities and faults. 'herefore4it is said sadyana guna mitsanti. * Vaisnava accepts only a manRsglories and not his faults. *dosa darsi means one $ho does not @ndfaults in others. 2e simply sees the otherRs good #ualities and he@nds faults $ith himself. 2e is very strict $ith himself and he isal$ays $atching himself very scrutiniJingly4 detecting all of thedefects he has in himself.

* Vaisnava al$ays follo$s the order of guru and K;5Aa. *nyone $hoattempts to $rite aout K;5Aa4 must @rst ta,e permission from theguru and K;5Aa. ne must @rst ecome a pure devotee and then hemust ta,e permission from the spiritual master and that permissionmust e con@rmed y K;5Aa from $ithin his heart.

/anatana 0os$ami follo$ed the instructions of -aitanya Mahaprauand $rote a oo, on Vaisnava !ti#uette. 'his oo, is the guideoo,that directs a VaisnavaRs activities. 'he 2ari Bha,ti Vilasa desc7r8esVaisnava eti#uette as the ehavior of a pure Vaisnava. !veryodyshould follo$ that standard. 2ere is ho$ the 2ari Bha,ti Vilas de@nesVaisnava etti#uete4 its philosophy4 and some asic Vaisnavaprinciples.

/ince nothing can e successful $ithout sadachar or eti#uette4every action should e performed $ith proper eti#uette. (e mustact according to proper eti#uette. 'heheart of a saintly person is free from contamination. 'he $ay asaintly person acts is ,no$n as proper etti#uette. * $ay a saintlyperson acts is ,no$ as sadacara.

If a person reads the si ranches of the Vedas $ithout practicingproper eti#uette4 he does not get puri@ed4


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,ing4 proper eti#uette gives the results of dharma4 artha and,ama. 'herefore a $ise man very carefully performs the propereti#uette descried in the scriptures.

'hus one can understand that Vaisnava eti#utte puri@es the heartand the consciousness.

No$ here are some asic principles and points that IRve compiled

from 2ari Bha,ti Vilas and the Nectar of Devotion aout the properactivites of one $ho is a Vaisnava.

4 Vaisnava 5

l. Qers respect and oeisances to the guru4 to the Lord and 2isdevotees4 and to other superiors. ne must oQer respect andoeisances to the superiors4 li,e the guru4 the Lord and 2is devotees.(e must also respect superior relatives4 li,e the parents.

). 0et up efore 3 a.m. and attend mangala:arati.

. *fter $a,ing up4 @rst rush your teeth and after$ards ta,e a ath.

3. Bathe after passing stool.

+. (ash $ith $ater after passing urine. *lso $ash hands and feet.

". (ash hands4 feet4 and mouth efore and after ta,ing prasadam.

(e must at least $ash our hands. In the (estern countries it may ediTcult to $ash our feet. But $hen in India4 you should $ash othyour hands and your feet efore and after ta,ing prasada.

&. (ash hands after drin,ing $ater.

'his done ecause $hen your hold your cup $hile drin,ing4 yourhands actuallly ecome contaminated.

F. se the right hand for eating and drin,ing. !ven if you are a lefty4try to use your right hand.

9. *l$ays $ear clean clothes.

l. Never steal anything.

ll. Never use unpleasant $ords.

l). Never tell a lie4 even if it is pleasant.

'hat is donRt even tell a pleasant lie.

l. Never spea, ill of others.

l3. Do not ecome inimical to others.


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l+. Do not develop friendship $ith people $ho are envious4 fallen4insane4 inimical4 etravagant4 deceptive4 lying or illicitly related $ith$omen. Do not develop friendship $ith unchaste $omen.

l". Do not travel alone.

l&. Do not sneeJe or ya$n $ithout covering the mouth.

lF. Do not laugh loudly.

l9. Do not pass air loudly.

). *l$ays avoid a crematorium4 a garden4 and unchaste $omen atnight.

)l. Do not ta,e shelter of a fallen person.

)). Neither sleep too much nor stay a$a,e too much.

). Do not outstretch your legs in front of your elders.

)3. Do not pass urine or stool on the road.

)+. Do not spit $hile eating.

)". Do not insult $omen.

)&. Do not ecome envious of $omen.

)F. Never cause any harm to anyoneY instead4 al$ays try to do goodto others.

)9. Do not associate $ith unscrupulous people or read scripturesthat are not ona @de.

/criptures are in #uotes4 $hich means they are so:called scriptures.

. Do not moc, people $ho are foolish4 insane4 distrsessed4 ugly4cunning4 lame4 or fallen.

l. Do not chastise anyone ecept sons and disciples to educatethem.

). Bathe after shaving4 copulating4 or going to a crematorium.

. Do not hit anyone on the head or pull anyone y the hair.

3. Do not eat yogurt or chic,pea, our at night.

*ctually Prahupda instructed us aout yogurt ut $e are not so

sure aout the chic,peas. /o you e careful aout that no$. DonRteat chc,peas at night. In the morning they are good4 ut not at night.

+. If someone insults you4 leave the place silently.


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". Never praise yourself.

&. Never loo, at a na,ed $oman or man.

F. Do not place your foodstuQs on your lap to eat.

9. Do not #uarrel $ith your $ife.

3. Do not spit on $ater.

Because people sometimes drin, $ater from ponds or la,es orrivers4 one should not spit on $ater.

3l. Do not sleep in the temple room.

3). /annyasis should athe three times a day4 grhasthas andrahmacaris at least t$ice a day.

3. *fter one ta,es prasadam the area $here the plate $as ,eptmust e cleared. ne should not step over the area $here prasadam$as ta,en4 ecause it is considered contaminated.

I have noticed in many temples that after $e ta,e prasada4 $hich isusually on the oor4 $e


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. Becoming a pure devotee is not a cheap thing. (e must guardagainst imitation and strictly follo$ in the footsteps of 7r8laPrahupda.

3. 'he #ualities of a pure devotee li,e 7r8la Prahupda are fareyond our present grasp. 2o$ever4 in their compassion4 7r8 K;5Aaand the Vaisnavas have made oth the principle and the processvery clear and simple.

+. 7r8 K;5Aa in B.0. 1).1:) tells us #uite plainly $hich #ualities aredear to 2im6

GaH ne $ho is not envious ut $ho is a ,ind friend to all livingentities4 $ho does not thin, himself a proprietor4 $ho is free fromfalse ego and e#ual oth in happiness and distress4 $ho is al$ayssatis@ed and engaged in devotional service and $hose mind andintelligence are in agreement $ith Me : he is very dear to Me. GB01).1:13H

GH 2e for $hom no one is put into diTculty and $ho is notdistured y aniety4 $ho is steady in happiness and distress4 is verydear to Me. GB0 1).1+H

GcH * devotee $ho is not dependent on the ordinary course ofactivities4 $ho is pure4 epert4 $ithout cares4 free from all pains4 and$ho does not strive for some result4 is very dear to Me. GB0 1).1"H

GdH ne $ho neither grasps pleasure nor grief4 $ho neither lamentsnor desires4 and $ho renounces oth auspicious and inauspiciousthings4 is very dear to Me. GB0 1).1&H

GeH ne $ho is e#ual to friends and enemies4 $ho is e#uipoised inhonor and dishonor4 heat and cold4 happiness and distress4 fame andinfamy4 $ho is al$ays free from contamination4 al$ays silent andsatis@ed $ith anything4 $ho doesnRt care for any residence4 $ho is@ed in ,no$ledge and engaged in devotional service4 is very dear toMe. GB0 1).1F:19H

GfH 2e $ho follo$s this imperishale path of devotional service and

$ho completely engages himself $ith faith4 ma,ing me the /upremegoal4 is very4 very dear to Me.

GB0 1)6)H

". 2o$ can $e develop these #ualitiesC 7r8la %upa 0os$amieplained::

GaH e enthusiastic GH endeavour $ith con@dence GcH e patient

GdH act according to regulative principles Gsuch as sravanam4,irtanam4 visnoh4 smaranam : hearing4 chanting and rememeringK;5AaH GeH aandon the association of nondevotees


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GfH follo$ in the footsteps of the previous acaryas GNectar of Instruction 'et H

&. 2e also elucidates those practices $hich $ill hinder our K;5Aaconscious development6

GaH eating more than necessary or collecting more funds thanre#uired

GH overendeavouring for mundane things that are very diTcult tootain GcH tal,ing unnecessary aout mundane su


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/o it is stated4 !ti#uette is the ornament of a Vaisnava. But $hatdoes this meanC Is eti#uette something only eternal or optionalC (ecould dra$ an analogy6 Is it possile to e $ealthy4 ut have norichesC r $hat is the value of $ealth if one uses no costlyornamentsC 0enerally4 one $ill decorate himself according to thedegree of his $ealth. If one is very rich4 he $ill e adorned $ith onlythe @nest of raiments and accessories. /imilarly4 for one $ho isprofound in his K;5Aa consciousness4 the


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natural division. Birds of the same feather oc, together. G/P Lil.VI4pg )))H

'he Seet 'he feet should not touch Gor even e eposed toH anyone oranything especially sacred itemsH. 'hat is oQensive. Basically4 thefeet touch only the oor. ther$ise4 they are ,ept covered. neshould not step over Gor reach overH anyone aH $hile they are

oQering oeisances Geg4 efore the vyasasanaH H $hile they aresitting Gas in the temple roomH

/lamming Doors 'he slamming of doors4 although seemingly a minor fault4 greatlydistured 7r8la Prahupda. It symptomiJed carelessness andmisuse4 and Prahupda said the sound crac,ed his heart. ne timePrahupda came out of his room and called out4 (ho is thatslamming the doorsC No one ,no$s from $here this uilding hascome. ou ta,e it for granted4 that it is here. But no one cares. G/PLil.V4 p.133H

/tealing /P Letter to Pradyumna V! G1O))O"FH DonRt stealBut so far asstealing is concerned4 one should not steal ecept in the rarestcircumstances. Moral principle is recommended in all scriptures as aprere#uisite for spiritual culture.

+ore on the Behavior of a Vaisnava

It is the characteristic of a devotee to oserve and protect theVaisnava eti#uette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava eti#uette is theornament of a devotee. -c. *ntya:Lila 3.1)9:1.

1. 'he consciousness of a devotee is manifested y his actions.

). If one has any depth of realiJation4 the


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protect us from all dangerous elements4 $e have to chant the 2areKrishna Mantra regularly eing humler than the stra$ and moretolerant than the tree. 'hen Krishna4 (ho is Dindayal4 $ill esto$ 2isMercy upon us.

/P Letter to FO1FO& pendraou are good for everything ut your attitude to remain good fornothing is very nice. * Vaisnava is al$ays humle and mee,4 and he

is never puQed:up4 even he has got the highest #ualities ofdemigods.

/P Letter to Xanardan 1O)1O"F/o $e have to e very careful in understanding Krishna-onsciousness. .... 'o understand Krishna as 2e has spo,en in theBhagavad 0ita or in other Vedic literatures through the right sourcesof disciplic sucession4 that is our real ,no$ledge. 'he idea iseveryone should try to pace himself as if he doesnRt ,no$anything. 2is position is secure. But as soon as he says that I ,no$everything4 and I $as previously such and such...4 'hat is actually

rascal. /o I ,no$ that you are trying to ,no$ things from the realsource4 and you are not puQed up li,e other fools $ho thin, that they,no$ everything. our humleness is very much appreciated y me.

ther$ise4 $e may ecome su


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U'herefore a serious devotee is al$ays ready to ta,e guidance fromsuperiorOother Vaisnavas to understand the proper $ay of acting.

But $e should never steal anything li,e money4 food4 $ater4gasoline4 etc.4


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everything should e done very nicely. /an,irtan should e done yyou in the streets and at gatherings and in this manner display $hatis this K;5Aa consciousness movement and ho$ it is for everyoneRseternal $elfare and happiness. /o you do all these $ith greatenthusiasm and very carefully. ur all activities must e open so thatno one may criticiJe our mission. /o all dealings must e to thestandard of Vaisnavism. (e cannot misrepresent ourselves for thepurpose of ta,ing monies from the pulic4 ut as everything is

underta,en forthrightly in a K;5Aa consciousness $ay4 then LordK;5Aa $ill e pleased to provide all facilities for aiding our suchsincere service.

Etiquette within :elationships

1. 'he Vaisnava society is very meticulously structured4 $hereseniors are al$ays respected y the


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/P letter to Xanardan G1O)1O"FHI understand that your 0odrothers are as your youngerdependentrothers6 ,indly treat them as you younger dependentrothersand try to advance them in K;5Aa consciousness as good asyou can.

/P Letter to Xana,i 1O1FO"9 Please do your duty cominedly$ithout any disruption of peaceful attitudes amongst yourselves. (e

are pushing our movement on the ac,ground of a peacefulatmosphere in the $orld4 and if $e sho$ a little disturance in ouro$n camp that $ill not e a very good eample4 'herefore4 everyone should e foreearing4 tolerant and cooperative.

/P Letter to 0argamuni 9OFO"9 But one thing is you muststop this @ghting et$een rothers. ther$ise the $hole program$ill e spoiled. ourself4 'amal Krishna4 Brahmananda4 /atsvarupa::you should do everything cominedly. 'hat is my re#uest. 0radually4y KrishnaRs 0race4 $e are epanding. /o if amongst us there isfriction4 it $ill e very dangerous.

/P Letter to Brahmananda 11O1+O"9 'his is called Vai,unthaattitude. In the Vai,untha factually there is no fault in anyone4 utthere is another type of competition. 'he competition is that onedevotee thin,s of other devotees ho$ nicely they are serving theLord. In the material $orld the attitude is that everyone li,es to thin,that I am doing etter than others. 'his is material conception. In the/piritual /,y it is


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no Vaisnava $ill approve of this oQensive action. ...I do not $ish todiscuss on this point elaorately no$4 ut if you are desirous to ,no$further aout it4 I shall e glad to give you more enlightenment...R If2rshi,esh $rites you a letter4 I thin, you may avoid reply. I do notappove of oth 2rshi,eshRs and Bon Mahara


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ddhavaRs father and therefore ddhava could not accept him as hisdisciple4 especially $hen Maitreya $as present neary. 'he rule isthat in the presence of a higher personality one should not e veryeager to impart instructions4 even if one is competent and $ell:versed. /o ddhava decided to send an elderly person li,e Vidura toMaitreya4 another elderly person.

/ince oth Maitreya and Vidura $ere directly instructed y the Lord4

oth had the authority to ecome the spiritual master of Vidura oranyone else4 ut Maitreya4 eing elderly had the @rst claim toecoming the spiritual master4 especially forVidura4 $ho $as much older than ddhava. ne should not e eagerto ecome a spiritual master cheaply for the sa,e of pro@t and fame4ut should ecome a spiritual master for the service of the Lord. 'heLord never tolerates the impertinence of maryada:vyati,rama. neshould never pass over the honor due to an elderly spiritual masterin the interests of oneRs o$n personal gain and fame. Impertinence...is very ris,y for spiritual realiJation. G/B .3.)"H

/P Letter to /udama &O)9O&) %espect for sannyasi*ll should oQer due respect to a sannyasi. 2is position is al$ayssuperior to all other inmates of the temple. 2e must al$ays maintainthat superior position y action and ehavior.

/P Letter to %ayrama G1OO"&H ne thing you may note as a matter of eti#uette6 'he /piritualMaster is addressed as \2is Divine 0raceR4 a 0odrother as \2is0raceR4 and any sannyasi is addressed as \2is 2olinessR.

/P Letter to Xanardan G1O)1O"FHI understand that your 0odrothers are as your younger dependentrothers. Kindly treat them as your younger dependent rothers andtry to advance them in K;5Aa consciousness as good as you can.

/P Letter to *rundhati "O1"O"9 %egarding your second #uestionaout greeting ,armis4 if a ,armi is a friend4 you


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'reating (omen as Mothers

In distriuting love of 0odhead4 -aitanya Mahaprahu and 2isassociates did not consider $ho $as a @t candidate and $ho $as not4nor $here such distriution should or should not ta,e place. 'hey

made no conditions. G-c. *di:Lila ).&.))H

1. In essence4 duality means that $e forget that $e are part andparcel of K;5Aa. (e $ant to en


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%egarding the disturance made y the $omen devotees4 they arealso living entities. 'hey also came to Krishna. /o consciouslyI cannotdeny them. If our male memers4 the rahmacharies and sannyasis4if they ecome steady in Krishna consciousness4 there is no prolem.It is the duty of the male memers to e verysteady and cautious. 'his can e done y regular chantingli,e2aridas 'ha,ur did.

Letter to %ayrama 1O3O"& Protect the $omen GDonRt !ploit 'hem.HPlease guide our innocent 0odsisters $ho have come to our shelter.0irls are more susceptile to the @ner attachments ofMaya. Boys area little stronger. Mrinalini4 Xadurani and allother girls $ho are so#uali@ed4 good:loo,ing4 intelligent4educated4 and seriously engaged in K;5Aa consciousness shouldal$ays e given protection from the attachments of Maya.

/P Letter to 0argamuni 1O1FO"9 MayaRs most attractive feature is$omen and money. (e Krishna -onscious men have to deal $ith$omen and money in course of preaching $or,4 and the only

prophylactic measure to save us is not to accept them for our sensegrati@cation. 'hen $e shall remain strong enough. Materialisticpeople ta,e everything for sense grati@cation and Krishna -onsciouspeople ta,e everything for KrishnaRs satisfaction. 'here is no fault inthe thing as it isY namely $omen and money4 ut it ecomes faultyy improper use. 'he improper use is to accept them for sensegrati@cation.

/P letter to !,ayani G1)OO&)H6(ho has introduced these things4 that $omen cannot have chanting


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. If a dog:eater ecomes a Vaisnava then he ecomes moreelevated than a rahmana4 and if a sannyasi is devoid of devotion toVisnu then he considered to e more degraded than a dog:eater.G1.F&H

3. !ven at the time of total annihilation the devotees of Visnu do notfall do$n. 'hatRs $hy 7r8 2ari is ,no$n every$here as infalliale4 all

pervasive4 and inehaustileY therefore there is no need to fear adevotee. * devotee never inicts pain on anyone. G1.11:1+H

+. 'hose $ho $orship the /upreme Personality of 0odhead 7r8 2ariare the est of all people and no one is etter than them in the three$orlds. G1.11H

". 'hose sinless4 magnanimous Vaisnavas purify the entire creationtherefore they are even etter than the places of pilgrimage.G1.11FH

&. 'hose $ho are My devotees are not actually My devotees4 those$ho are My devotees of My devotees are real devotees.G1.1H

F My devotees $ho are surrendered unto Me and free fromattachment and disgust4 envy and pride4 sing My glory all the time.

'hey never cause any harm to anyone. 'hey are al$ays engaged in$orshipping My devotees and eager to hear aout Me4 they are the ones $ho al$ays carry Me in their hearts. G1.13+:13"H Blasphemy of a Vaisnava

/P letter to 0opal Krishna G3O)1O&Hou are al$ays alert to see $hether you are commiting someoQense. 'his is a very nice attitude. In rendering service to LordK;5Aa and 2is representative4 the /piritual Master4 $e should al$aysmaintain this fearful attitude $hich means carefulattention. 'his attitude $ill advance you progressively in K;5Aaconsiousness.

Quotes from 3ari Bhakti Vilas

1. (hen one lasphemes a Vaisnava he loses his religiosity4 $ealth4fame and children. G1.1H

). If one eats a Vaisnava4 lasphemes a Vaisnava4 sho$s disrespectto a Vaisnava4 gets angry upon a Vaisnava or does not epress our 6inds of Blasphemy to a Vaisnava

1. 'o @nd fault $ith a Vaisnava for his apparent lo$ irth.). 'o laspheme him for his previous faults.. 'o laspheme him for his accidental fault.


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3. 'o laspheme him for the faults that are almost recti@ed. Gfrom 2arinam -intaminiH

?hat to Do 1f %ne Commits Vaisnava 4paradha

If y chance one commits Vaisnava aparadh then he must eforgiveness from the Vaisnava very earnestly holding his feet. *

Vaisnava is very merciful so he $ill immediately emrace him andforgive him for all his oQenses. Gfrom 2arnam -intamaniH

%@erin! Praise to a Vaisnava

/P letter to 'amal K;5Aa GFO19O"FH'his is actually a devoteeRs usiness that everyone shouldappreciate the value of other devotees. Noody should criticiJeanyone.

No$ that you have come to my house today4 I have ecome glori@ed4my life has ecome completely successful. 'o e ale to see aVaisnava is as rare as the good fortune of seeing 7r8 2ari. I musthave ac#uired immense piety4 huge as the Merumountain thatRs $hy I got to see a great Vaisnava li,e you. G2BVG1.&:FH

Dressin! ike a Vaisnava

7r8 -aitanya Mahaprahu said R* @rst class Vaisnava is he $hosevery presence ma,es others chant the 2oly Name of K;5Aa.R G-c.Madya:Lila ".1".&3H

1. 'here should e no compromise in our Vaisnava appearance. (eare representatives of 7r8la Prahupda. (e should aim to e @rstclass representatives.

). (e need to e a$are of the ona@de standard of appearance.maintain it and preach it. In the age of Kali deviations easily ecome

the standard. (e should e alert to this.

. Proper Vaisnava dress helps us maintain proper consciousnessregarding our identity and responsiility in service to 7r8laPrahupda and the Vaisnavas.

3. Vaisnava appearance is attractive and $ill facilitate our preaching. 'he @rst impression4 $hich is most often formed from visual stimuli4is the most longstanding.

+. Xust e seeing a Vaisnava the conditioned soul is puri@ed.

Wuotes from 7r8la Prahupda


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7r8la Prahupda $as dressed appropriately for a resident ofVrndavana. 2e $ore ,anthi:mala Znec, eads[ and a simple cottondhoti4 and he carried


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Corretin! %thers

Devotee means he is ale to tolerate all ,inds of discomfort and$hims of the material nature4 and ecause he is too much asoredin serving K;5Aa he ta,es no time to ecome angry or ta,e oQense

$ith others or @nd out some fault. No. Devotee means very lieraland ,ind to everyone4 al$ays gentleman under all ,inds ofconditions of life. G/P letter to 2ansadutta 1)O1O&)H

1. 'here is a diQerence et$een criticism and correction. * devoteerealiJes that criticiJing a Vaisnava pollutes the heart and impedesspiritual advancement.

). 'o correct a devotee one must e6: GaH non:envious GH desirous to practically assist the devotee in his K;5Aaconsciousness. GcH in a position spiritually or managerially $hich


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Quotes from 8r9la Prabhup,da

/P Letter to Patita ddharan G1)O1)O&3H * devotee :: one $ho ishumle :: doesnRt fault:@nd

/o in your letter you are not @nding fault $ith anyone. /o you aregood Vaisnava. ou do not @nd fault $ith anyone. 'his is the

#uali@cation. (e should al$ays thin, ourselves humle and mee,. 'his you must ,no$. /o $e all have to cooperate amongst ourselves4other$ise $hat $ill people thin, if $e ourselves @ght $ith oneanotherC * devotee is al$ays ideal in ehavior.

/P Letter to Brahmananda 11O1+O"9 'his is called Vai,unthaattitude. In the Vai,untha factually there is no fault in anyone4 utthere is another type of competition. 'he competition is that onedevotee thin,s of other devotees ho$ nicely they are serving theLord. In the material $orld the attitude is thateveryone li,es to thin, that I am doing etter than others. 'his is

material conception. In the /piritual /,y it is


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man you should not get agitated $ith him. *fter all4 $e arepreachers4 and $e do not epect our audience or candidatescompletely respondent to our call. If everyone is trained Ualreadythen $hat is the use of our preachingC

/P Letter to 2ansadutta G9O)9O&3H Mend itY DonRt Brea, it'ry tosettle up amicaly and correct yourself. ne man is trained up $ithgreat diTculty4 especially in spiritual life. !veryone has got some

$ea,ness and de@ciency. It is etter tocorrect or mend it than to rea, it.

/P Letter to Nara:Narayana )O&O"9 Let 'he *uthority 2andle ItI eg to than, you very much for your letter pointing out some ofthe discrepancies of many of the devotees in Ne$ or,. ou arecorrect regarding the items $hich you have stated4 such as sleepingin front of the deities4 ta,ing of unoQered foodstuQs4drin,ing $ater from the athroom4 and non:chanting of rounds. Butthe thing is discipline can not e oserved unless there is oedience.*s you are oedient to me4 you should e similiarly oedient to my

representative. our statement aout Brahmananda that he is a$onderful devotee is 1 percent agreed y me. 2e is in charge ofthe Ne$ or, center4 and therefore4 if proper oedience is not givento him4 it $ill e impossile for him to manage aQairs of the temple.nder the circumstances4 the discrepancies you have oserved in thetemple may e referred tohim4 and he is #uite reasonale4 and $ill handle the matter $ith therespective devotees.

/P Letter to Madhumangala G11O1FO&)H %egarding general state ofaQairs at *msterdam temple4 I can understand there is somedisturance among you4 ut that is not to e ta,en very seriously.%eal usiness is preaching $or,. *nd if there is fullattention on this matter only4 all other usinesses $ill eautomatically successful. Sighting amongst ourselves is not at allgood4 ut if our preaching $or, is neglected4 or if $e fall do$n infollo$ing the regulative principles :: such as rising efore four4chanting 1" rounds4 li,e that :: if these things are not strictlyoserved4 then Maya $ill enter and spoil everything. /o my estadvice to you is to strictly oserve these things yourself and e theeample so that all others may follo$. (e should not criticise each

other as Vaisnavas4 ecause there is fault in everyone and $e maye ourselves su


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If there is some incident and I claim that no one is cooperating $ithme or no one $ill $or, $ith me4 that is M defect4 N' '2!I%/. 'heVaisnava devotee must thin, li,e this. (e should not @nd fault $ithothers and criticise and go a$ay. 'hat is not the Vaisnava $ay. Better$e should al$ays e $illing to oQer all respect to others and considerthem as our superiors al$ays.

Etiquette in +ana!ementI/K-N is a spiritual organiJation personally estalished y 7r8laPrahupda. (e must to ta,e care that it doesnRt ecome material.*nything Ghusand:$ife relation:ship4 Deity $orship4 even prasadamHcan turn material y oneRs consciousness. In any /ociety4 there muste some organiJation and management4 other$ise there $ill echaos. !ven in the spiritual $orld4 K;5AaRs friends are sudivided andsupervised GLord Balarama is group leader for his co$herd oy:friendsY -andravali and %adharani head up left:$ing and right:$inggopies4 etcH. I/K-N is no diQerent. In order for people interact in aharmonious fashion4 dealings and activities must e regulatedandorchestrated.[

1. 'he material nature is the $orld of eploitation ut the spiritualnature is the $orld of service.

). I/K-N is a spiritual organiJation. %egardless of position everyoneis @rst and foremost a servant of 7r8 -aitanya Mahaprahu and 7r8laPrahupda. No one should eploit his position for sel@sh interests.

. 2igher position means greater service. Position means anopportunity to purely represent 7r8la Prahupda. 2ence ourmanagement must e ased on humility and tolerance.

3. 'reat your suordinates as younger rothers.

+. Leadership is ased on spiritual #uali@cation4 not on anythingmaterial. * mature4 dedicated preacher ma,es the est leader.

". * leaderRs character must e spotless.

&. Leaders must feel for their follo$ers4 then the follo$ers $illnaturally trust them.

F. It is important to lead $ith detachment and guide $ith a strongsense of duty.

9. K;5Aa conscious management is autocratic and democratic.

1. 'al, to devotees and e open to ne$ ideas.

11. DonRt hide anything from the VaisnavaRs.

1). 'here should e more than one signer for an, acccounts4 uyingof properties etc.


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1. It is est if all incoming funds are declared efore the Deities47r8la Prahupda4 and the Vaisnavas.

13. *ll incoming funds should e deposited in the an, and thenspent from the account.

Quotes from 8r9la Prabhup,da

'he s$eetness of Lord K;5Aa is not to e tasted y those$hoconsider themselves e#ual to K;5Aa. It is to e tasted only throughthe sentiment of servitude. -.- *di:lila 16"61.

/P Letter to 2ansadutta &O11O&...r you may follo$ your other plan4 ut ho$ever you do it4 do it


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overladen $ith fruits ecomes humle and lo$er do$nY similiarly4 agreat soul in Krishna -onsciousness ecomes humler than the grassand o$ed do$n li,e the fruitful trees ecause a Krishna -onsciousperson acts as the agent of Krishna4 therefore he discharges his duty$ith great responsiility.

/piritual Management G/P Lil.V4 p.91H Prahupda said he ,ne$ thepulse of his disciples. 'hus he had recently Z19&)[ sensed a

tendency to e too asored in management and not enough inpreaching. 2e had een telling his secretary that 0.B.-. men shouldnot simply sit ehind their des,s and try to centraliJepo$er ut should ecome detached4 ta,e sannyasa4 and travel andpreach. No$ he had advised that they not give up their managerialurden ut follo$ his eample of preaching and managing their0.B.-. Jones in a renounced spirit.

/P Letter to K;5Aavesa dd G1O1"O&+HMy re#uest to you is that you try to follo$ the authorities there ::the temple president4 the 0B-4 etc. -ooperate nicely $ith them. ur

movement is ased on love and trust4 so if $e do not cooperate4 thenho$ is that love and trustC Sollo$ all of the rules and regulations verystrictly $ithout deviation4 chant 1" rounds4attend class and mangal arati4 and then everything $ill e all right.

/P Letter to K;5Aa das V!GO+O"9H 'his surrendering process isunconditional. /urrendering does not mean that one should onlysurrender in favorale circumstances. 'hat is not surrender./urrendering means that in any condition the surrendering processmust continue. U*nd $hat is an important part of thatsurrendering processC ...ou must $or, con


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*nother thing I re#uest is that everything in the 'emple should e,ept nice and clean. !veryone shoud $ash hands efore touchinganything of K;5AaRs. (e should al$ays rememer that K;5Aa is thepurest and similarly only the purest can associate$ith 2im. -leanliness is net to 0odliness.

UIn arcan 'here is no matter if there is a little change here and there:: the real duty is love and devotion. G&O)"O&H amuna

/P Letter to Kirtanananda G11O)O&3H%egarding the prasadam4 I never approved Mr. Mal,ani coo,ing in thetemple. 2e is not initiated. f course4 he is 2indu4 ut he is notinitiated to coo, in the temple. *ny paid coo, is not desirale. 'heindependent coo,ing in the temple is not good.`Sootnote6 'he right thing is that only t$ice initiated rahmindisciples coo, in the temple.

Letter to Mahapurusa GO)FO"FH es4 a non:initiate can $or, underthe direction of a devotee in the ,itchen.

G-c. *ntya 3.1)F purptH It is customary for the priests of temples inIndia not even to touch outsiders nor enter the Deity room afterhaving een touched. 'his is a very important item in temple $ors

/eeing the Deity in a pleasing mood

Letter G+O)&O&H to 'amal K;5Aaou have descried 'heir Lordships 7r8 7r8 %adha K;5Aa at London

'emple as $onderful. es4 that is the test of standard service. If $esee the Deities in very pleasing mood4 that $ill certify our serviceunto the Lord. /o every$here $e shall see the Deities in suchpleasing mood. *s soon as $e see the Deities in a diQerent mood $emust immediately understand our discrepancies.

7r8la Prahupda said that the devotional practices in the Xaipurtemple $ere standard and could e introduced throughout I/K-N.Zie4 oQering scented oils on cotton:tipped stic,s4 $hich the priest$ould later oQer4 along $ith the o$er garland from the deities4 tothe incoming $orshipers in echange for fresh garlands[. G/P Lil.V4p.3&43F.H

/erving 0uests and Life Memers

* VaisnavaRs heart is very pure and a pure hearted personisetremely magnaminous. /o oneRs Vaisnavism $ill e


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). 'he arrival of a guest is a chance to introduce a conditioned soulto 7r8la Prahupda or relish vaisnava association. Vaisnavas feel


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prasadam4 and he suggested that they might $ant to rest. *t leastfor a fe$ minutes4 the immediate4 pressing prolems $ere put aside4as PrahupdaRs disciples as,ed in the s$eetness of his darsanaand his ,ind $elcome. ou should al$ays e ale to oQer $ater4 hot puris and eggplantha


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). se the right hand to eat and drin,.

. Meditate on ho$ K;5Aa tasted the oQering. Gne can alsomeditate on K;5AaRs mercy in providing prasadam and the prasadampastimes of 7r8 -aitanya Mahaprahu and Lord K;5Aa.H

3. Do not tal, $hile honoring prasadam Gesides glorifying K;5Aa

and 2is prasadam.H

+. Do not thro$ prasadam. Never touch prasadam $ith your feet.

". (ash hands4 feet and mouth efore and after eating.

&. Drin, a glass of $ater one hour efore eating. Sor some time aftereating4 donRt drin,Y if you at all have to drin,4 drin, something hot.

F. 7r8la Prahupda said6 Sill 1O3 of your stomach $ith $ater4 1O)$ith food and the other 1O3 $ith air. D N' V!%!*'b

2o$ to /erve Prasadam

(e should never $aste Krishna prasadam. Best thing is to coo, only$hat is re#uired and then give each prson $hat he $ants. 'hat is theVedic system4 that the people sit in ro$s ehind their plates andservers pass do$n the ro$s and put a very small portion of eachfoodstuQ on each plate4 unless there is some o


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Sried preparations and dahl Various spicy vegetales /our items/$eet preparations %ice and capatis are staple foods and should e on the plate

F. 0o around serving seconds until every DonRt e stingy : donRt holdanything ac, ecause you $ant to ta,e it later. Prasadam is meantfor distriution.

9. Do not touch plates $ith the serving spoon. 'ouching the platecontaminates the spoon. If a spoon ecomes contaminated4 youshould $ash it.

1. DonRt let your @ngers touch any of the preparations4 even $ater./alt should never e served y hand4 use a spoon.

11. Never touch prasadam $ith your feet or step over it.

1). /erve the prasadam from serving uc,ets.

1. DonRt drag uc,ets along the oor or ma,e clanging noises $ithpot handles or utensils. /erve #uietly.

13. *fter everyone is @nished honoring prasadam4 clean the placeimmediately.

Wuotes from 7r8la Prahupda

/tory of PrahupdaRs Visit Galong $ith some disciplesH at the *sramof Puri Mahara


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Prahupda $ould sit at the head of the t$o ro$s and encouragethem to ta,e prasadam6 0ive him moreb Prahupda $ould praise*nandaRs coo,ing4 smiling $ith pleasure to see his disciples acceptprasadam. 'he devotees $ould @nish4 having een induced to eat asmuch as they possily could4 and 7r8la Prahupada $ould say aloud the prema:dhvani. 'hen all the devotees $ouldshout in response4 Xayab

*fter one such feast4 Prahupda called the devotees into his roomand remar,ed4 /ee ho$ he is coo,ing. 2e coo,s everything4 heserves it4 and then he doesnRt eat until everyone is fully satis@ed.

'his is Vaisnava4 ho$ he should act. 2e is moresatisifed to serve than to en


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yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro


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$e have to use it Zcars[4 ut $e should not e attached to it. urattachment should e for K;5Aa4 and for K;5AaRs service $e canaccept anything.

'ouching feet O11O& *cyutananda ou do not allo$ anyone totouch your feet::ut if they $ant to insist on touching your feet andthere is no other $ay to avoid it4 you can simply rememer yourpredecessor *caryas and /piritual Masters and accept them and

return namas,ar $ith folded hands. 'hat is the Vaisnavaeti#uette.

(hen 7r8la Prahupda $as #uestioned y


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. 'o actually e in the Dhama means to e in the association ofdevotees4 to hear from senior Vaisnavas and serve them. (e cannotsee a holy place $ith visaya Gmaterial spiritH. (e are reliant on themercy of the Vaisnavas.

3. (e must maintain 7r8la PrahupdaRs good name y eing cleanin all our dealings. G'his includes everything from eating to changingmoneyH.

+. (e must e a$are that 0ovardhana 2ill4 %adha and /hyama Kundetc. are /upremely transcendental personalities. If $e desire to ta,e

'heir darshan $e must do so in proper consciousness.

". *nimals are also residents of the Dhama. (e should neitherefriend them nor ma,e them our enemies. It is est to maintain aneutral position.

&. It is important to come to the Dhama in a service mood ratherthan an en


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e criticiJed for this uncleanliness or I $ill e criticiJed. It is the dutyof the disciples to follo$ theseeti#uette haits very austerely. G/P Lil. v4 p.)9:HUrefer this also to2o$ to serve and honor prasadam

*ll *nimals are %esidents of the Dhama GDogs4 2ogs4 Mon,eysH

Not Disturing 'he Dogs

G/P.Lil.V4 p.)+H nce in Vrndavana4 the devotees tried to chase a$aya fe$ stray dogs y thro$ing stones and yelling4 ut Prahupadastopped them4 Leave them alone4 he said4 and he egan thro$ingthe dogs prasadam from his plate.

'he Mon,eysNeither e their friend nor their enemies4 if you ma,e friends $iththem4 they $ill simply e nuisance. If you ecome their enemies4they $ill ecome very vindictive. Xust maintain a neutral position.G/P Lil.V4 p.3)H

.pa

Dealing $ith Indian Brahmanas4 Mayavadis4and other /ampradayas

Indian Brahmanas and Mayavadis

1. In dealing $ith the smarta Brahmans $e must rememer thatthey have no ona @de parampara. 'herefore they are not in aposition to have received transcendental ,no$ledge.

). 'he Vaisnava is more elevated than a rahman.

. 7r8la PrahupdaRs second pranam mantra indicates that $eshould minimiJe our dealings $ith the mayavadis.

3. (e may choose to oQer respects to Mayavadis ut $e must neveraccept their food.

+. 2o$ to defeat Mayavadis6

GaH 'heir understanding of the *solute is incomplete. GH 'hey utiliJe relative means in their #uest for the *solute. GcH 'hey distort the #uintessence of the scripture. GdH Lord /iva came as /an,aracarya to e$ilder the demoniacpeople in the age of Kali through mayavadi philosophy.

". It is etter not to preach to mayavadis or smarta rahmans.2o$ever4 $e should preach to the innocent $ho have eeninuenced y them.

ther /ampradayas


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1. 'here are distinct diQerences et$een the four sampradayas : 7r84Brahma4 %udra4 Kumara.

). 'here is a distinct diQerence et$een these sampradayas andours.

. 'here is a sutle diQerence et$een I/K-N and other 0audiyasampradayas.

3. 7r8la PrahupdaRs spiritual position is uni#ue. It is our specialgood fortune to e related to 2im.

+. 'he caste gos$amiRs conception of disciplic succession is acomplete misconception.

". No matter ho$ elevated4 a Vaisnava al$ays oQers respects. 'hemore advanced he is4 the more humle he is. 'herefore our dealings$ith other sampradayas should e very respectful.

&. In our dealings $e must e a$are that there is a diQerenceet$een sumission4 humility4 and respect.

F. (e should al$ays e respectful to$ards other sampradayas : atleast eternally : to protect 7r8la PrahupdaRs good name.

9. It is good to ,no$ aout diQerences and defects in other spiritualcommunities.

1. (e must al$ays e a$are of the uni#ue position of the Vra


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regarding their position4 ut there is no need of al$ays associating$ith each of them. !ven if one is Vaisnava4 ut not of good character4$e can give him the Vaisnava respect4 ut $e cannot associate $ithhim.

/P Nectar Z6[ ne time $hen Prahupda $as at Bha,tivedanta Manor4 aMayavadi sannyasi came to visit. 7r8la Prahupda received him

graciously4 and they had some discussion. (hen the man departed4he delierately left ehind a ig stac, of pamphlets. 'he pamphletscontained a little essay on the monistic doctrine thatall is one4 defying the direct meaning of the Vedic scriptures andcompletely omitting Lord K;5Aa as the /upreme Pesonality of0odhead. 'he net afternoon4 Prahupda met $ith the devotees as usual. 2ispractice $as to receive a very ig plate of fruit and nuts4 ta,e somehimself4 and then as, a disciple to distriute the maha:prasadam toall the devotees. n this particular day4Prahupda called for the pamphlets. 'he devotees $ere surprised

::(hy is Prahupda calling for these pamphletsC (hen they $ererought in4 7r8la Prahupda said4 Distriute one to each of thedevotees. 'he devotees $ere e$ildered4 as the Mayavadipamphlets $ere distriuted to one and all. 'hen Prahupda said4 !veryone ta,e a pamphlet4 open it up andput it in your hand. 2e too, a fe$ fruits from the plate4 egan eatingthem4 and then indicated that the rest should e distriuted. 2e saidthe devotees should use the pamphlets aspaper plates. ne of the devotees mentioned later that Prahupda$as practicing yu,ta:vairagya y this simple act. 2e had found auseful purpose for the atheistic tracts4 simultaneously ridiculing theirauthor and yet engaging him in devotionalservice.

Dealing $ith Mayavadis. ...'hen the other sannyasi Zmayavadi[egan spea,ing. /uddenly 7r8la Prahupda loo,ed at us and said4/tart ,irtan immediately. /o $e got up in the middle of thesannyasiRs spea,ing and started ,irtana. 2e $as preachingimpersonal philosophy and I could not tolerate it4 Prahupda said.GBhuri

Documents

Vaisnava Etiquette by Bhakticaru Swami