Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


My young disciples

Expressions researched:
"disciples, students, they are all young" |"disciples, they are young men" |"disciples, young" |"my disciples there, all of them young" |"my six young disciples" |"my two young disciples" |"my young disciples" |"young boys, all within thirty. My oldest disciple" |"young student disciples" |"your disciples being so young"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 6

SB 6.5.43, Purport:

Prajāpati Dakṣa cursed Nārada Muni by saying that although he had the facility to travel all over the universe, he would never be able to stay in one place. In the paramparā system from Nārada Muni, I have also been cursed. Although I have many centers that would be suitable places of residence, I cannot stay anywhere, for I have been cursed by the parents of my young disciples. Since the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started, I have traveled all over the world two or three times a year, and although I am provided comfortable places to stay wherever I go, I cannot stay anywhere for more than three days or a week. I do not mind this curse by the parents of my disciples, but now it is necessary that I stay in one place to finish another task—this translation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If my young disciples, especially those who have taken sannyāsa, take charge of traveling all over the world, it may be possible for me to transfer the curse of the parents to these young preachers. Then I may sit down conveniently in one place for the work of translation.

Lectures

Initiation Lectures

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Prabhupāda: So we shall invite every one of you. We have opened this temple in this country. So we invite all Japanese boys and girls, young men. Especially we invite them because they can understand. Old men, they are sophisticated. They, whatever they have understood, it will take hundred years to forget. (laughter) But young men, they are inquisitive, they are receptive. They can easily... Practically all over the world, all our followers, disciples, students, they are all young men, or teenagers, or some of them, about twenty-five years or thirty years, but no old men. That is the special feature of this movement. In all countries we have got branches, all over America, all over Europe, all over Canada, Australia, and in your country we are now making progress gradually. We have got center here. We are thinking of opening one center in Quoto. What is that?

Sudāmā: Kyoto.

Prabhupāda: Kyoto. So gradually, as you join, we shall enhance our activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand. We have got books, we have got philosophy. It is appreciated all over the world. So thank you for your coming here and joining this ceremony, and we shall continue to invite you more and more, and come here. Thank you very much. (end)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- September 24, 1968, Seattle:

Interviewer: How do you account for most of your disciples being so young that is, right after university age, and what have your inroads been here in Seattle during the month that you have been here?

Prabhupāda: I have come here for the last ten days only. And at least two or three is already converted (in) Seattle. Yes. I want to see the youngsters in your country to be happy. Everyone wants that, but not only in your country, I want to see everywhere. Because that is the duty of every human being, to give information of highest happiness. That is the duty of every human being. The animal propensity is to exploit others. And human propensity should be to do good to others. That is the difference between animal propensity and human propensity. So here is a nice thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should you not distribute? Especially in your country where there is great need for it? They are not after economic development. They have seen much of economic development. Now it is time for them to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and they will be happy. That is my mission.

Press Interview -- December 30, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: I have got about a little more than one hundred disciples who are strictly following my regulative principles.

Journalist: One hundred.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In different branches. I have got about thirteen branches. Some of the disciples are working in London. Yes, they are doing very nice. They are all married couples. I got them married. Yes. I got them married. They're young boys, all within thirty. My oldest disciple he is 28. Otherwise 25, 24. At most 30. And similarly, girls, you have seen this girl. You see. So I get them, make them happy in married life. Their mentality is... They are not after so-called puffed-up life. They can live very simply with the least demand of bodily necessities, but thinking very high of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I am very hopeful that even I die... Because I am old man, 73 years old. I may die at any moment. But I am now assured my movement will go on. These boys will carry it. That, my mission, is in that way successful. I came here with this idea, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be started from America. Because anything accepted by America, people follow because America is considered to be the... Actually America is not a poverty-stricken country. So they can very easily understand, they can take it. And there are many confused youths. So with all these considerations, I came here, and I think I'm successful, yes.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Reverend Gordon Powell, Head of Scots Church -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

some get five and some ten. And...

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Come on. Sit down. Thank you. Oh, it is very nice. (handles paper wrapping) You can close the door.

Devotee: Close the door.

Prabhupāda: So all our disciples, they are young men.

Reverend Powell: Yes, I noticed.

Prabhupāda: Because they are receptive. And their intelligence is intact. Old man takes time.

Reverend Powell: (laughs) Yes, well, that's very true, sir. Your Grace, what's the parable of the talents, that some were given a few, and some were...

Prabhupāda: Now, the talents are described. Find that Eighteenth Chapter, śamo damas titikṣā. Then...

Reverend Powell: What I'd like (break) I'd like to hear this, but...

Prabhupāda: Talents are divided into three categories: the brāhmaṇa category, and the kṣatriya category, the vaiśya category and the śūdra category. They are described here.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Give him some prasāda. Thank you for your kindness.

Mr. Furman: Pleasure meeting you.

Prabhupāda: So in the Kali-yuga, this age, so many difficulties, social, political, religious, cultural. So in Kali-yuga the practice of yoga is not possible. It was possible in the Satya-yuga. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. That is meditation. That was possible in the Satya-yuga. But in Kali-yuga you can do that, the same achievement you can have by hari-kīrtana, by chanting the holy name of the Lord. And factually you'll find our, these disciples, young boys and girls, they are not practicing in a secluded place the yoga system. They are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. And bring any yogi in the world and talk with them and see the comparison. Because that is fashion only; it has no practical value. And here is practical value. Maybe one or two are successful, but mass of people, yoga practice is not recommended. That is not possible to be executed. But if you take to this hari-kīrtana movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, very soon, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. You see practically. They are young boys and girls. At least, they have given up the four principles of sinful life and they are practicing, and they will improve. If they stick to the principles, they will improve.

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

Prabhupāda: We don't sit down idly.

Bali-mardana: God helps those who help themselves.

Prabhupāda: We are not idle preachers, we are working. All, very hard, more than the karmīs.

Rāmeśvara: These men, they go out to engage people in taking our books maybe twelve hours a day sometimes, ten hours a day, without any salary.

Prabhupāda: I am now eighty years old, I am working twenty-four hours. I think I work more than my young disciples (laughter).

Bali-mardana: Oh yes, definitely.

Prabhupāda: I work at night.

Rāmeśvara: It is hard to keep up with Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: Very difficult.

Prabhupāda: We are not idle creatures.

Rāmeśvara: We are publishing his books and sometimes he is ahead of us by seventeen volumes.

Interviewer: How do you spend your days? You do an awful lot of traveling I understand.

Prabhupāda: Traveling is going on throughout the whole world and wherever I go, at night I write books.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Balmukundji -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

So I am very glad and proud that you have so much appreciated the character, discipline and devotional service to the Lord of my six young disciples who are working there with faith and confidence. You will be pleased to know that all of my disciples are trained from the beginning to build up character, and such character is built up by following the restrictions of no illicit sexual connections, no meat-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling. So this Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for a complete overhauling of the whole social, political, religious, moral, educational, and hygienic principles. Human society without following these principles cannot rise to the spiritual platform.

Letter to Swami Bhaktivedanta -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969:

We think the whole world or the entire human society is dwindling their faith in God so much so that some of them are declaring God is dead, and some of them are in frustration, manufacturing different kinds of isms, under different names. This state of affairs in the world is not very satisfactory at least for the advanced and civilized human society. It is essential therefore that scientific God consciousness which we are preaching under the name of Krishna Consciousness, should be broadcast very widely. I came to this country with this mission, because I know that America, although richest nation in the world, still there are so many frustrated youngsters both boys and girls. I started this movement in 1966, single-handedly, but by the Grace of God, I have now hundreds of intelligent young student disciples, who have taken up this movement seriously. They are executing the rules and regulations as described in statement 5. And they are feeling happy. Many of them have taken to household life and they are living very peacefully with wife and children, and some of the married couples have gone to England and they have been preaching Krishna Consciousness movement very creditably. So this movement is very precious missionary activities for the present society. I request the government should very scrutinizingly and wisely study this movement without being biased to some stereotyped ideas. It will be good for this country, and for the whole world at large if this movement is seriously taken up and broadcast all over the world by the American people, joined by the English as well. I think my idea and plan is coming to be true very soon because I have many intelligent and sympathetic disciples, both from America and England.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:

My activities in London were begun as early as September, 1968. I sent six of my disciples there, all of them young couples, husband and wife, and none of them more than 26 years old. These boys and girls first started Sankirtana Movement in London and there were very nice reports about them. Even the "Times of London" printed one article with the caption "Hare Krishna Chant Startles London."

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Balwant Singh -- Bombay 4 April, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 23d March, 1971 and have noted the contents. I am so pleased that you have taken my two young disciples, Vaikunthanatha and Saradia, from Trinidad for preaching work. It is so kind of you that you are appreciating their work in this connection. Kindly continue to help them so that there may not be any impediment in their preaching work.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to President of United States -- Los Angeles 28 June, 1972:

I am seventy-six years of age and am in the renounced order of life. I came to this country from India six years ago to introduce Krishna Consciousness, the scientific process of spiritual life, to the English-speaking people of the Western world. Now by the grace of Krishna I have many thousands of disciples, young American and European boys and girls. Many of them have come to me bewildered, rebellious, and addicted to all sorts of sinful activities. Like so many of the young people today, they were lost and confused. Now they are all leading a disciplined and regulated life. They follow strict principles of spiritual life, with no desire for intoxication of any kind, or illicit sex life. They are always engaged in meaningful work, serving God and their fellow man. They have become the flower of your country and all over the world they are being treated with the highest respect.

Letter to Shyamsundar Mallik -- London 13 July, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 7/7/72 in Bengali, and you will excuse I am writing in English because I am in London. I hope you are making the Ratha-yatra Festival very successful, along with my disciples headed by Bhavananda and Acyutananda Swami. In my childhood I used to take my ratha with my little friends, about 60 years ago. Again I am reviving the same attempt with my young disciples. I have become old, and you are also old, although not so old as I am. We may pass away, but my disciples will carry on this festival yearly, and so it will be remembered forever our eternal relationship with Sri Sri Jagannathaji and Sri Sri Radha-Govindaji. Ask your sons also to cooperate so that in future this festival will be continued for good.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Lynne Ludwig -- Los Angeles 30 April, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from California dated November 27, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully, although due to extensively travelling and preaching tour in India, I have not yet got the opportunity to reply you at length until now. Your complaint is that you have met two of my young disciples in California and they appeared to you as having "a very negative outlook towards the people they meet." Of course, I do not know the case, what are the circumstances, but kindly forgive my beloved disciples any unkindness or indiscretions on their part. After all, to give up one's life completely for serving the Lord is not so easy thing. And Maya, or the illusory material energy, she tries especially hard to try to get back and entrap those who have left her service to become Devotees. So sometimes in the neophyte stage of devotional service, in order to withstand the attack of Maya and remain strong under all conditions of temptation, young or inexperienced devotees will adopt an attitude against those things or persons possibly harmful, threatening to their tender devotional creeper. They may even over-indulge in such feelings just to protect themselves, and thus they will appear to some non-devotees, who are perhaps themselves still very enamoured by the material energy of Maya, as being negative or pessimistic.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Gopavrndesa -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your offering of the sanskrit verse which you composed for me and I thank you very much. Now I am encouraging my young disciples to all try to learn at least one Indian language, like Hindi or Bengali. At least those who have the propensity can become proficient in some language, especially Hindi, and then you will be able to preach in India in the native language. It will be very effective.

Page Title:My young disciples
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:14 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=5, Let=8
No. of Quotes:15