Śrīla Prabhupāda Says - [On leadership in his ISKCON society]
"...after you, who will take the leadership?" And "Everyone will take, all my disciples. If you want, you can take also. (laughter) But if you follow. They are prepared to sacrifice everything, so they'll take the leadership. I may, one, go away, but there will be hundreds, and they'll preach. If you want, you can also become a leader. We have no such thing, that 'Here is leader.' Anyone who follows the previous leadership, he's a leader. 'Indian,' we have no such distinction, 'Indian,' 'European.' "
Brahmānanda: They wanted an Indian to be the leader?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) "Everyone, all my disciples, they are leaders. As purely as they follow, they become leader. If you want to follow, you can become a leader. You are Indian. But you don't want." I told them that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they probably wanted to propose somebody who would take over our movement.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Leaders. All nonsense. Leader means one who has become first-class disciple. He is leader. Evaṁ paramparā-prāpta... One who is perfectly following... Our instruction is ara na kariha mane asa **. You know this? What is that? Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, ara na kariha mane asa **.
Who is leader? A leader, to become leader, is not very difficult, provided one is prepared to follow the instructions of a bona fide guru.
[Room Conversation: Vṛndāvan 2 Nov 1977]
NOTE ; Srila Prabhupada had no written authorization to be guru, but was sent by his spiritual master alone to the West with a few books, to preach, and instruction to preach in English. General authorization implied. Srila Prabhupada told us his spiritual master ordered him, just as did Gour Govinda Swami.
Every one of you become the spiritual master
Lord Caitanya says that "Every one of you become the spiritual master, every one of you. Why one, two? Every one of you." "Oh, spiritual master is very difficult job." No. No difficult job. Caitanya Maha... Amara ajnaya: "Just try to carry out My order. That's all. Then you become spiritual master." And if you interpolate, if you put something nonsense, rubbish, to show your so-called rascal's education, then it is spoiled. Immediately spoiled. And if you present as it is, then it is pure. amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]…
Comments
"Our only strength is chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. So if we stick to the principle of chanting Hare Krishna Mantra, following the rules and regulations, that will give us strength to work on both sides - namely to enlighten people in Krishna Consciousness and cut down the bad government full of atheistic people." Letter to Madhudvisa Maharaja 15 September, 1971
"Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has actually declared war against the illusory energy, in which all the living entities are rotting in a false understanding of civilization. The soldiers in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. "