Recently I started using classes from Srila Prabhupada as studying material for my English students. My job is to explain these classes in simple words, so they can pick-up the ideas and vocabulary and later be able to understand the classes proper.

In this process, I have to naturally study each class very deeply, so I can get the essential points and flow of ideas to write the materials for the course. This is giving me another opportunity to understand the genius of Srila Prabhupada in formulating these classes. He is able to explain points we normally struggle so much to understand and to explain in such a simple and elegant way that one can only be amazed. This is again just reinforcing my conviction that to try to understand Krsna Consciousness by studying “advanced” books, without a very long and deep study of the philosophy Srila Prabhupada explains in his classes and books is an exercise of futility. The ones who think Srila Prabhupada gave only the ABCD are just paving their way in the direction of spiritual illiteracy.

Many senior devotees believe a powerful acarya is about to appear in this world. I don’t know from where this idea comes if there is some prophecy or reference, but I heard the same idea from quite a number of different sources.

We can see that after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada there was a lot of darkness and confusion in our society, similar to what happened after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Past acaryas alert that after the disappearance of a powerful acarya, a period of confusion ensues. Srila Prabhupada created a worldwide movement practically from scratch, with the help of disciples who were quite young and inexperienced by the time he left the planet. He left all the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness in his books, but at the time he left devotees were still struggling to understand them. Even nowadays we are still struggling, what to say about the first days.
What is impressive in this story is not the problems that happened, but how our movement was capable of remaining a unified mission despite all the chaos. The disciples left by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura were more advanced in many aspects, but still, they could not preserve the unity of the mission after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Somehow, by Krsna’s mercy, the disciples of Srila Prabhupada were able to accomplish this difficult mission, and this simple fact is more significant than any shortcoming that may have existed.

Imagine the following scene. You meet your old best friend Jack that you don’t see since high school. You become emotional in seeing your friend for so many years. You run in his direction, saying: “Jack, It’s me, I’m so happy to see you!”. However, as you get close, you notice he is not happy at all to see you. As a result, you stop. You look around and see some small children scattered here and there. One has hurt his leg, the other one is crying. In your rush to embrace your friend, you carelessly knocked down all these children, his children! How do you think Jack feels?

Sometimes, in our rush to get things done for Krsna, we treat his devotees carelessly and even hurt a few of them in the process. This was of course more common in the past, but it still happens a lot. Usually, the more active a place is, the more it tends to happen. This is like getting close to Krsna by knocking down his children, it doesn’t work very well.
Actually, the way one treats others is one of the most reliable ways to understand one’s level of advancement in spiritual life. As one’s ego becomes more under control, his awareness of others as parts and parcels of Krsna grows.