How do you think Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya, would respond to the idea that devotee vaishnavis should accept a limited role within society based on interpretations of ashram or stri-dharma? Urmila Devi Dasi: Everyone has a limited role in varnashrama—men and women alike. Krishna instructs not to do others’ work;…
Author: founderacharya.com
by Satyaraja Dasa An Interview with Professor E. Burke Rochford Satyaraja Dasa: Let me read you something that was written by a sociologist named Stuart Wright: “Commitment to a movement characterized by charismatic leadership emerges out of an investment of ‘trust’ made by members. One problem all world-transforming movements face…
by Chaitanya Charan Dasa The question is: how can we see the current Ritvik conflict from a Bhagavad Gita or spiritual perspective? This issue has been active on social media, and I’ve been asked about it repeatedly. Over the past month, I’ve reflected on it and will now share thoughts…
Interviewer: How does educating the devotees about Srila Prabhupada’s role as Founder-Acharya strengthen their commitment to the varnashrama projects? Urmila D.D.: By showing that Srila Prabhupada wanted it, but that’s not enough. Most devotees, in my experience, don’t understand what varnashrama is. Their idea of it is impractical and skewed.…
by Candramauli Swami
Interviewer: What does it mean to say that the Founder-Acharya is above or more important than everyone else?
Prabhupada’s teachings determine the path to follow and are compulsory for his followers. Being his follower means aligning strictly with his teachings. Sometimes we claim to follow him, but we struggle to explain his teachings—hence, reading his books is crucial. Everyone in the movement is considered a follower, and future teachings or writings must align with Prabhupada’s. This is called chastity to the Founder-Acharya. In our tradition, senior devotees may write books, but the core principles must remain unchanged, even if adapted for time, place and circumstance—like using different language to communicate the same truths.
by Caitanya Candrodaya das
Just as it is true to any lasting relationship the actualisation of a relationship with the Bhagavata—embodied in the living tradition of the guru, scripture (sastra), and the devotional community (sanga)—requires fidelity over mere formality. In the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), this relationship was once vividly personal through the presence of its Founder-Acarya, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Schismatic deviations were rare and easily rectified, in person, by Founder-Acarya himself. However, after his departure in 1977, ISKCON faced multiple schismatic episodes that tested the community’s ability to sustain authentic fidelity to Prabhupada in the absence of his physical proximity, in other terms in post-samadhi paradigm. These crises revealed deeper structural and theological tensions and illustrated how schisms in the body of his movement, and outside of it, emphasised the greatness of Srila Prabhupada’s prophetic significance, effectively strengtening his position as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON.
by Mukunda Goswami
An important insight is that empowerment isn’t limited to renunciates. When a brahmana named Kurma wanted to leave his family life, Lord Chaitanya advised him to stay home and chant the holy name. This teaching affirms that householders, often underestimated, are fully capable of spreading Krishna consciousness.
Interviewer: Devotees want to work and live in a devotee community and have financial stability. And these two things seem not very compatible. And that’s what causes the problem.
Urmila D.D.: That’s the problem because we haven’t trained devotees that you can go out into the world as a devotee and that your work can still be devotional service. We discouraged the devotees from doing that.
We’re okay if people who are already financially stable and successful in their careers become devotees and then stay in their careers and have influence in their careers somehow. We didn’t use to be—in the early days of ISKCON, we would tell them to drop everything and move into the asrama. I’d say, the last maybe 10–20 years, we’ve been fine to preach sthane sthitah. You can stay in your place and be a devotee.
While devotional spirituality is rooted in humility and surrender, the tradition of Gaudiya Vaisnavism as taught by Srila Prabhupada is not silent about the value of argument. In fact, reasoned debate has a meaningful role, particularly when used to protect and promote the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (gaura-vani), and to defend the minds and hearts of practicioners from philosophies such as sunyavada (voidism) and impersonal advaita speculations. In this context, argument becomes an act of fidelity—using the power of reason not only to refute what is false but to remain aligned with the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada.
However, when argument is misused—driven by ego, position, politics, or manipulation—it damages the mission of gaura-vani-pracara…
You met with colossal success, making the holy name a household word, while thousands waited on your every instruction, ready to surrender their life to please you. You never saw it as your ability, purity or power, but saw everything as a manifestation of Krishna’s divine grace and mystic potency. Thus your glory expanded.
I don’t have such vision, and can’t imagine that I ever will. Nevertheless, by meditating on you, I hope I’ll get a glimpse of what you see. I often stop and consider, “what would Prabhupada do?” I’ll keep that mantra central to my life, as I navigate the chaos of the world and try to do my little bit to share your wisdom with the world. Thanks for displaying the vision of eternity. Thanks for making my life a purposeful, exciting, transcendental adventure. I can never repay you.