like political parties

Imported quote 19412

So the Gauḍiya Vaisnava especially... Gauḍiya Vaisnava means the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are four Vaisnava sampradaya originally: from Lord Brahma, Brahma-sampradaya; and from Lord Siva, Rudra-sampradaya; and from goddess of fortune, Laksmi, Sri-sampradaya; and from the catuḥ-sana, four kinds of sanas, Sanat Kumara, Sananda, like that. So the four sampradaya is coming from time immemorial. We belong to the Brahma sampradaya, the Gauḍiya-sampradaya. Sampradaya means just like there are political parties, but their aim is to develop the country, nation's interest, although... Just like in your country there are political parties, Democratic parties. What other parties? (More...)

Prabhupada: Huh? Republican. Although they are party, their aim is how to develop the country. Similarly, these Vaisnava sampradaya, although they appear to be a separate party, but their aim is how to serve Krsna. So don't think the party means some opposite party. No. Everyone has got, for the advanced devotee, to serve the Lord in a particular way so that the Lord may be more satisfied. That is their intention. Sometimes we also have some parties in the temple: someone wants to dress the Deity in a way, another wants to... Of course, they are not transgressing the rules and regulation, but still, everyone wants that "I shall serve the Lord in this particular way." We cannot change the original rules and regulation, but there is variety. We are not impersonalist. Every person has got to serve the Lord in a particular way, and that is allowed. The center point is Krsna. So although there are parties, if the central point is Krsna, so there is no dissension. It is a competition, that "My Godbrother, my Godsister is serving such a way. She is so well versed in this art. Why not try myself to do something?" This is variety. That is not this ordinary party strife if we make Krsna the center. (More...)

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