Prabhupāda: What do you mean by traditionalist?
Bhakta Gene: The traditionalists are strictly the old Roman Catholic traditionalists.
Prabhupāda: No, apart from Roman or . . . what do you mean by traditionalist?
Bhakta Gene: Those who abided by tradition rather than the scriptures.
Prabhupāda: Oh, scripture, they have no respect for scripture?
Bhakta Gene: Well, they had respect for scriptures, but they had more respect for tradition, ritualistic laws.
Prabhupāda: What is the tradition?
Satsvarūpa: The way the church would apply the ritual rather than actually trying to . . .
Prabhupāda: But that is required. That is required. Just like we are worshiping the Deity. This is traditional, from time immemorial. So how you can reject? This is the way. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). That is bhakti way.
Bhakta Gene: But so much of the tradition within the Roman Church has no reference to any scripture.
Prabhupāda: No, no, that has not been properly done. Otherwise, just like here, we have got temple, regulative principle. If it is done properly, the result will be there. If it is improperly done, then there is no result. How these boys, European, American, they never knew what is Kṛṣṇa . . . but on account of this following the traditionalism, they are becoming devotees. It is practical, you can see. Simply theoretical knowledge will not do. Must be practiced. That is traditional. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3). That is the Nectar of Instruction. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. This is traditional. One has to follow the traditional rules and regulations. Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3). First of all one must be enthusiastic, "I shall become devotee." Then, utsāhān dhairyāt, with patience. Then niścayāt, with conviction, "Yes, I am following the rules and it will be successful." And tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt: you have to follow the traditional rules and regulations. Sato vṛtteḥ, you must be honest. Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83): and these things in the association of devotees. Ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. Then your bhakti, devotional life, will be successful.