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And you in turn choose others (I have been chosen by my spiritual master)?

Expressions researched:
"And you in turn choose others" |"I have been chosen by my spiritual master"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Oh yes. That is our succession.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: Are you the one who chooses who runs each center, who is responsible in each temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our program is to open centers in every village, every town, to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Interviewer: And you choose the leaders, or Kṛṣṇa does and tells you, how does that work?

Prabhupāda: No, I have been chosen by my spiritual master.

Interviewer: Yes. And you in turn choose others?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. That is our succession.

Interviewer: On what basis?

Prabhupāda: Basis, on the order of Kṛṣṇa. Originally the order is from Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: How does that come?

Prabhupāda: Comes by disciplic succession. Just like Kṛṣṇa said this knowledge to Arjuna and Arjuna said to others and it is open. Everyone can take it, there is no secrecy. We have to accept only, that's all.

Interviewer: I missed that, I'm sorry.

Prabhupāda: The order is already there, it is open, open secret. There is no secrecy. Anyone can take it.

Interviewer: All right. But in terms of specific, say, choosing, specific things, specific details.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in all details, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is all details in this book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Hari-śauri: So he's asking what's a man's qualification to be chosen.

Rāmeśvara: In other words Prabhupāda will decide who should be leader if he's qualified and there's a process for making him qualified and there's a process for testing to see if he is qualified. So in that way it all comes from Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: You chose, for example, these fellows here to run the publishing house and be responsible for the east coast.

Prabhupāda: Yes, like that. He's in charge of publication, he's in charge something else, he's charge, like that.

Interviewer: On what basis, though, can you tell me some of the things that...

Prabhupāda: Basis, just to see whether he's qualified, that's all. Just like ordinarily one manager is appointed by the superior authority on the merit, on his qualification. That's all.

Interviewer: Okay, is it a mediated choice or is it a direct communication from Kṛṣṇa, that's my question.

Prabhupāda: No.

Rāmeśvara: He's asking whether we claim that God speaks to us directly.

Prabhupāda: Yes, God speaks to you when you are qualified. You cannot expect God as order supplier. When he sees that you are qualified, he will speak to you.

Bali-mardana: The spiritual master is the representative of God to the disciple because he is in direct contact with God.

Prabhupāda: My spiritual master appointed me that "You do this." Similarly I shall appoint somebody else, this is the way.

Rāmeśvara: It's difficult for people to understand that God can speak to a man. They question, "How can God speak to some man?"

Prabhupāda: That is, anything, that, the radio message is coming, a foolish man cannot understand how it is coming. He'll think "How it is that, speaking?" So any foolish man will be astonished how things are happening. That is foolishness. But God says, find out this verse...

Hari-śauri: Four three? Sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya (BG 4.3)?

Prabhupāda: Huh? No no. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te.

Rāmeśvara: Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10).

Prabhupāda: Ah, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10).

Hari-śauri: Dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes.

Hari-śauri: "To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give them the understanding by which they can come to Me."

Prabhupāda: God is situated in everyone's heart. As soon as He sees that "Here is a qualified person," then He gives him instruction.

Page Title:And you in turn choose others (I have been chosen by my spiritual master)?
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Rishab, Rohit
Created:12 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1