Once, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, a GBC and one of the 2 BBT-Trustees, left the shelter of Srila Prabhupada’s Lotus Feet, and returned to material life. However, after many months had pasted, he considered returning. In this one conversation with devotees in his Garden at the Los Angeles temple, this disciple was sitting in the back of the Garden along side of me. At the end of this darshan, I noticed that he raised his hand, and was seeking recognition from Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada looked at him and said,
“Yes?”
This devotee said,
“Srila Prabhupada, you have told us that a devotee’s fall down could be intentional or accidental. So, how and when does one know, if a devotee’s fall down, was accidental instead of intentional?”
Srila Prabhupada thought for a while. It seemed that he was thinking on a response to his question, as he gazed up, looking up into the sky. All the devotees attending this Garden Conversations, were full of anticipation. We were all eager to hear the answer.
Then suddenly, Srila Prabhupada snapped out his thought, and said,
“A devotee, if there is an accidental fall-down, the devotee again acts as my disciple and returns back and serves me, and therefore, Krishna will excuse.”
“But if the devotee persistently sins, and continues to not be my qualified disciple, then Krishna will allow some punishment for one’s correction, in this life time. In addition, this fallen disciple will, without a doubt, take birth again, and in that life will be born in to an aristocratic family, a family of royalty, or in a brahminical family, where the devotee will get the opportunity to resume their Krishna-consciousness.”
In Addition, Srila Prabhupada Said,
“Our teachings are based on the authorized movement of Lord Caitanya, on the principles of Bhagavad-gita, as the beginning, and Srimad-bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta as the graduation, and the works of the Six Goswami’s as the post-graduation. Srila Prabhupada’s mission is to establish that Krishna Stu Bhagavan Swayam.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness wants to establish that one God, one scripture, one mantra, and one service. One God is Krishna, one scripture is Bhagavad-gita, one mantra is Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, and one service, means everything for the Lord.”
Srila Prabhupada had many disciples, and many of them are married couples. He got them married. Yes. He got them married. When he first met them, they were young men, all within their twenties or thirties. And similarly, the same for girls. So, he made them happy in married life. The nature in the USA and other western countries, is much leaning towards “family-life”, and we should keep that in mind in reconstituting his mission.
Srila Prabhupada said that us disciples, we were not after so-called puffed-up material life. We could live very simply, with the least demands of bodily necessities, but thinking very high of Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was very hopeful and assured that his movement will go on.
Now us disciples, we are now old ourselves, just like Srila Prabhupada was in the years 1965 to 1977. So, you tell me, because I do not know what else we can do, that is more important in our life? Yes! Us old disciples, who are interested with carrying his mission into the future, we need to surrender again to Srila Prabhupada orders and instructions. Hence, in this way, “his Mission”, in that way will be successful.
Srila Prabhupada came here 56 years ago, with the idea, that this Krishna consciousness movement should be started from America, the USA, because anything accepted by America; other people follow because America is considered to be the most powerful and advanced nation of the world.
Even more so today in 2022, there are many confused youths. The youth of today are more confused than the youth of the 1960’s. For at least the near future, there will be no lack of conditioned jivas who will be candidates for all various kinds of Krishna-consciousness preaching.
So, with all these considerations, he came here, and he thought that it is not our proposition that Christians, you become Hindus, or you Muhammadans, you become Christians, or to increase our numerical strength. He stated many time that we did not want any numerical strength.