My foreign disciples

Expressions researched:
"foreign disciple" |"foreign disciples" |"my foreign disciples" |"our foreign disciples"

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Foundation Stone Ceremony Speech -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

My foreign disciples, they could not understand either Hindu or Oriya. So for this movement, I am very much obliged to these American boys. The history of this movement is that my Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and before him, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, they had an intense desire to preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message throughout the whole world. That was the intense desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

He wanted it. Because this is the only message to bring the human society into oneness. There is no other alternative. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhagavatam:

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann

asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ

kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya

mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

(SB 12.3.51)

So this Kali-yuga, as described by our Gaura-Govinda Mahārāja, a bhankara (?) yuga. But there is one opportunity, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. This is the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and a little attempt was made at the age of seventy years.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: There is ginger, I think.

Prabhupāda: This is ajwain(?). My only concern is about the immigration department. They are gagging you: "Now your visa... Go out, go away, go out..." So they are making so big, big arrangement. If my foreign disciples are forced to go away, then what is the value? That is...

Gargamuni: Well, as far as myself... Of course, I was supposed to leave yesterday. But there is very easy process. You can come in and out and stay six months.

Prabhupāda: So that, make plans. That will... Otherwise we are making so big, big, big plan. Who will manage?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sometimes people ask whether I have seen anything very powerful in Śrīla Prabhupāda. I sometimes answer, saying that when Śrīla Prabhupāda came to the United States, all the foreign disciples, all the Americans, they all because of their social structure, eating all kinds of things, but they are all now pure Vaiṣṇavas. So it is the greatest wonder that one can expect. So they become very silent, just hearing the answer, seeing that there is something very powerful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all they admitted in that Voice, that "We thought God is dead. Here Swamiji has brought." They admitted like that. (break) ...wife, she is also coming from very respectable family. Her father, grandfather all... Doctor had big...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Allahabad. Dr. Ghosh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Director of... (break) So arrange for that. (break) ...part of the country where there is vigorous malaria.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, he's worse. I mean the whole group of them is worse. There's a whole clique of them. The real thing that was happening is that without the knowledge of the head office they were doing so many things here locally. When it became known to the head office, then the head office became very angry. I can now understand that they had a whole plan in mind. They had it very planned, what they were doing. The plan in my opinion was that they felt here is a sannyāsī, old sādhu, and he has many foreign disciples...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were planning, in my... I talked with Girirāja about this. They were thinking "Here is an old sannyāsī, Prabhupāda. He has many foreign disciples, he has money. Let us get the money in fixed deposit. Then if he should pass away, then somehow by trick the money will be kept here and we'll never let them take it out." That was their plan. Therefore whenever Prabhupāda suggested that Gurukṛpā would sign, co-sign, "No, no," they would never allow. Their plan is that Prabhupāda would pass away, and all the foreigners would be there, and they'd never let them take it. When I showed them this power of attorney, they had a great shock. They were shocked how this had happened to them. I think this was their plan. Very deceiving type of people. Because they are here in Vṛndāvana. All their money is from fixed deposits from āśramas. So they know how to do this business of keeping the money. Now everything is clear. The money is there in Delhi. The Delhi office is not like that. They're businesslike. And we can keep dealing them, but on regular accounts. None of these fixed deposits. Not now. They "Now you must gain their confidence again." We told them, "We have nothing against you. But you deal properly, then again we'll deposit. But deal properly in a businesslike way." We have nothing against them. Punjab Bank is a good bank. Anyway, it's settled now, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's finished. I wanted you to know that it's been successfully completed due to Girirāja's good efforts. Girirāja went to Bombay. His parents went with him.

Prabhupāda: You said this Trivedi is worse than him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Devotee: Prabhupāda, I've seen his treatment. He's the...

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They do not want anything. They want to assemble together and have some excursion.

Jagadīśa: No more than croaking frogs.

Akṣayānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this morning, in the Bhāgavata class, we read a verse how Bali Mahārāja had been awarded all material opulences by the Lord—because of his devotion, not because of his puṇya. So I gave lecture to the devotees—in the same way Your Divine Grace, because of your devotion and preaching, Kṛṣṇa has given you every facility for propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and although there are other nice movements in India, actually they should all join you. They should all surrender to you. We want that everyone should actually join us at your lotus feet because you have actually been given all śakti by Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. So I told the devotees like this. "Do not be misled by others, even though they may be appearing to do nice work." Actually you are the only one who is really distributing the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is very obvious by the result. These others have not made even one foreign disciple. And if they did make one, he could not give up smoking, drinking and this and that. So there is no benefit whatsoever. Any intelligent person can see. Plus you have given us so much nectar. Prahlāda Mahārāja says mahāmṛta. I always think of that verse. You have given us so much nectar to absorb our minds in. There is really no chance that we will be influenced by these dry personalities.

Prabhupāda: Now you take up seriously and distribute. (aside:) It has finished.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Immigration Service -- Bombay 5 April, 1971:

Presently I am on tour with some of my foreign disciples in India and we have got a very large program here for preaching this Krsna Consciousness Movement or Bhagavata Dharma. Our program requires the assistance of both Sriman Wayne Gunderson and his wife Srimati Citralekha Devi Dasi, who are my initiated disciples. My request is that these two, husband and wife, be granted visa for coming to India. Our tour is lasting for another six months and their presence and assistance is immediately required. Please help them and expedite this matter as far as possible.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bombay 19 April, 1971:

As requested by you, I have arranged to send Gurudasa as soon as possible. It is understood that our devotees have got some difficulty in the matter of extensions of visas. Now you can consult our lawyer friends that I want my foreign disciples to remain here to assist me in my activities of Sankirtana Movement, so whether the Government can ask them to go away? Our Society is registered, our activities are bona fide, I am a preacher and if I maintain my disciples and assistants properly, how can the Government ask them to go? Please consult about this legal implication and if they are refused to stay in India, by visa, I wish to take legal action in this connection.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Bombay 27 April, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your two letters dated nil and 24th April, 1971 respectively. Yes, so far as the visas are concerned, from Delhi arrangements must be made that at least 400 of my foreign disciples must remain in India to propagate the Krishna Consciousness Movement. They are my good assistants and they are missionaries also. So many Christian missionaries are working in this country. Why not Krishna Conscious missionaries? They should be given special consideration. As a missionary I was given special consideration in your country, similarly you all should be given special consideration here.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Niranjana -- Bombay 18 January, 1972:

I am going to Africa on the morning of 24th instant, and it is quite likely that I shall not be returning to India for some time, perhaps several months. So you can come here to Jaipur and meet me by the 21st latest for taking your initiation. Otherwise, it is also possible that I may return to Calcutta by mid-February provided the government allows my foreign disciples to enter Nadia District for celebrating Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day, and you can meet me there in mid-February if I come back.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Bombay 5 February, 1972:

Our Madras programme has been fixed from 11th to 14th of this month, then on the 16th I shall be free to come to Vishakhapatnam along with a party of some of my American and foreign disciples. From Madras to Visakhapatnam will be much easier than to go to Calcutta and then again come back; besides, that it is quite probable that I shall be returning to Los Angeles the first week in March, visiting my Centres in Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Honolulu on the way.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Sydney 8 April, 1972:

You have requested me in your letter to consider for purchasing another house. But there is one difficulty, because the present administration of Jagannath Puri sometimes do not allow us to enter the temple. Of course, for our vaisnavas this discrimination is spiritually illegal: Arche siladhi gurusu navamati vaisnave janavate: if one is dressed in vaisnava dress, according to vaisnava law, if he is considered not a vaisnava, then that is a hellish condition. You know this also. So I think so long Viswanath Das, Chief Minister of Orissa, is there, he should pass some law to help us. Viswanath Das knows everything, he can pass an act to allow foreign disciples into Jagannath Puri. Many hundreds of foreign disciples will be coming to India in the near future, and already we have got nearly 100 men there, so it is a great opportunity for the administrative officials of Puri to increase the fame and prosperity of Jagannath Puri all over the world, and it will be their misfortune if so many qualified devotees of the Lord are not allowed into the temple, simply because they have taken their birth in a faraway place. So if you are able to do something, and approach the right persons like Mr. Viswanath then we shall be free to have our center in Puri. Kindly let me know at your earliest.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Ghosh -- Bombay 17 November, 1974:

Further I beg to inform you that all my temples and centers here in India are being managed by my foreign disciples. I want that they should be admitted as immigrants. They have embraced this Vaisnava religion and have given money for constructing these temples and are managing them. Although we have got a few Indians to join, they are neither educated or expert.

In Allahabad you are known to so many lawyers and judges. Kindly consult with them how my foreign disciples can get immigration status in this country. If they were forced to leave, I will be in a great disturbed condition how to manage all these centers. Kindly find out immediately some good lawyer. I think Sir Tej Bahdur's son maybe helpful in this connection.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Punjabi Premanand -- Bombay 16 April, 1976:

Concerning your offering of doing padayatra, travelling village to village; what is the use of getting the land in the hands of politicians who cannot properly utilize the land according to the instructions of Krishna. That's a fact, but if Indian young men join me I am immediately ready for this travelling touring from village to village, town to town. However, my foreign disciples have the language defect, they can't speak the village language, otherwise I would have started this program long ago. If some young men like you would join me then along with some foreign disciples I can immediately take up this program. If you are very eager, please get hold of at least half a dozen young men like you then with another half dozen foreign disciples, I can immediately take up this program and tour village to village and town to town. It will be very, very effective, I know that.

Letter to Bishambhar -- New York 11 July, 1976:

You can spend the Rs. 10,000 necessary to fix up the Taparia house. Utilize the house properly. There is sweet water well there so all the women and children can go there. It is very encouraging that in May the temple and guesthouse income was Rs. 20,000. So kindly help the management as Krishna Balarama is your worshipable Deity. Kindly guide our foreign disciples to manage nicely and increasingly you will be able to please Their Lordships Krishna and Balarama. Although I've established their temple, Their Lordships want me to keep outside the temple for touring. So in my absence you kindly manage nicely. Aksayananda Maharaja and yourself are tested devotees and I fully depend on you. I always think of how you are selflessly working for the temple. Please see that the accounts are kept and that no money is wasted. That's my only request. After all money is collected with great hardship. Not a single paise should be wasted.