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

Expressions researched:
"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 gṛhastha"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

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 gṛhastha.

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1975, Hawaii:

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it seems unfortunate that if the devotees cannot live in the temples, then they have to work for some karmī just to support themselves, and then they do not have time to go on the saṅkīrtana party. So it is such mercy to be on the saṅkīrtana party. So it seems very unfortunate that they do not have the time.

Prabhupāda: No, then they should live in the temple if they want to give service in the saṅkīrtana party.

Rāmeśvara: We always try to encourage them to come back to the temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If he does not join the saṅkīrtana party, that does not mean his spiritual life is hampered. He has to follow the rules and regulation. He may not be able to join the saṅkīrtana party, but he must follow the process, rules and regulation. That is wanted. And because he is living outside the temple, therefore he will forget all rules and regulation and do whatever he likes—then it will ruin the whole thing.

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is it faster if one . . .

Prabhupāda: What?

Devotee (1): Is it faster if one lives in the temple and goes on the saṅkīrtana party? Is it faster?

Prabhupāda: That depends on him. Even in the temple, if his mind is in a different subject matter, then how it will help him?

Bali-mardana: The temple authorities like to preach that anyone who's living outside the temple is going to hell.

Prabhupāda: Generally.

Bali-mardana: But even devotees who are following. They like to preach that.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not good. That is not good. Just like even in ordinary business, if you transact business in the stock association, you get good business. And outside the stock association you don't get. Because association is there, there are many purchaser and many seller. So if you have to sell, you get immediate purchaser. And if you have to purchase, there is immediate seller. That is . . . therefore the stock exchange is there. That is the way, that if we live together in the stock exchange of devotional service, then you can help me; I can help you. So our business will go on nicely. And outside the market, you can live three hundred miles away from the stock exchange—you will not get so many business. Like that.

Devotee (2): You'll miss the opportunities.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore it is helpful. If you want to do business, you must take the first opportunity, the greatest opportunity, do your business. That is intelligence. And if we think, "All right, I shall do slowly. In seven hundred lives I shall become perfect," that is another thing.

Bali-mardana: It is riskier to stay outside.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very risky. Otherwise why you are opening so many centers and making arrangement that "We shall provide you with shelter, with food? These are the facilities. You live here, do whatever is your capacity. Don't sleep, but work." This is our teaching. (japa) Satāṁ prasaṅgāt, this is also. And Rūpa Gosvāmī says, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge sadbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati (Upadeśāmṛta 3): "If you live with the association of sādhu, devotee, then it will be quickly fruitful." And if you live with these ordinary men, then whatever you have got will be finished very soon. There is another verse. It is said there that it is preferred to live within the cage surrounded by fire than to live with the nondevotees. It is preferred.

Bali-mardana: Or with those who are too much attached to women also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nondevotee means too much attached to woman. That is the plain fact.

Yaśodānandana: Also one time in Bombay you told this verse from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), sādhu-saṅga . . .

Prabhupāda: . . . sarva-śāstre kaya, lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya (CC Madhya 22.54). 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 gṛhastha.

Bali-mardana: You are a much better student than us.

Prabhupāda: So this is the process. That is the . . . you sing every day, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya. That is the process. Wherever you live, if you follow strictly the instruction of guru, then you remain perfect. But if we create, concoct ideas against the instruction of guru, then we are gone, hell. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi (Gurv-astaka 8). There is no more shelter—finished. Yasya prasādāt. If guru thinks that "This person, I wanted to take him back to home, back to Godhead. Now he is going against me. He is not following," aprasādāt, he is displeased. Then everything is finished.

Bali-mardana: Vaiṣṇavāparādha.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, where does someone derive his authority . . .

Prabhupāda: The guru is authority.

Devotee (1): No, I know, but for his actions other than just following the four regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. He does so many other things during the day. Where does he derive his authority if he's not, let's say, living in the temple?

Prabhupāda: I do not follow. The authority is guru. You have accepted.

Bali-mardana: For everything.

Jayatīrtha: Say I have some outside job, I'm living outside, but I'm not giving 50% of my income. So then that work that I'm doing, is it actually under the authority of the guru?

Prabhupāda: Then you are not following the instruction of guru. That is plain fact.

Jayatīrtha: So that means that whole activity during the day, working, that means I am not following the instruction of the guru. It's unauthorized activity.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you don't follow the instruction of guru, then you are fallen down, immediately. That is the way. Otherwise why you sing, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo? It is my duty to satisfy guru. Otherwise I am nowhere. So if you prefer to be nowhere, then you disobey as you like. But if you want to be steady in your position, then you have to follow strictly the instruction of guru.

Devotee (1): We can understand all of your instructions simply by reading your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway, follow the instruction. That is required. Follow the instruction. Wherever you remain, it doesn't matter; you are secure. Follow the instruction, then you are secure anywhere. It doesn't matter.