Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing
will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and
responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute
benefits to the others and they do nothing but beg from you and you provide.
No. Never mind there may be botheration to register each centre, take tax
certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train
men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and
responsibility, that is the point.
I am little observing now, especially in
your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our
programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of
problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign.
The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm.
The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm.
This spontaneous loving devotional service
is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to the rules and
regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds, chanting gāyatrī, keeping
always clean--then his enthusiasm will grow more and more, and if there is also
patience and determination, one day he will come to the platform of spontaneous
devotion, then his life will be perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar
of Devotion.
So I do not think the leaders are
themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly.
That must be rectified at once.
Each centre remain independent, that's all
right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the
others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good
instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary.
And GBC and Sannyāsīs will travel and see
the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the
standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall
remove it.
Of course, if new men are coming, they may
not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent.
Therefore we should not be so anxious to
induce them to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to
follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man moves in with
us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way.
Therefore let them live outside and become
gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then
they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It
is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in
your country, so educate them gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so
much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go
away later being too early forced.
I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders.
So my point is that the regulative
principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles
and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are
there.
[Letter to Karandhara: Bombay Dec 22 1972]
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