The Big Man and the Small Man

Considering the forces directed by the Supreme Lord, we are all small men.
(I abstain in this article to please the feminists from always adding “and women,” as Srila Prabhupada used the word “men” in terms of “human beings.”)

As men, we stand embarrassed and humiliated by material energy, by her stringent laws imposing upon us birth, old age, disease, and death. Looking back into the history of ISKCON alone, so many “big leaders” came and either died or were reduced into shadow-like forms of themselves by the force of time. What remains are the ETERNAL instructions of the Lord. Whoever exhibits chastity towards them assumes an eternal position, in contrast to the coming and going of the actors on the stage of Maya’s theatre. Those chaste followers are the “Big Men”, and those overcome by their false ego, their mind, and their “fertile brains” are the small men.

There are those who need institutional position, money, and any sort of followers to prove to themselves and to others that they are big men. As history taught us, they all vanish along with their followers in no time, hardly remembered by the new band of “big men” and their cheap followers. Living in this body for 72 years, looking back—how many did I see coming and going? Quite a few.

As Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā, a real devotee is not concerned with temporality; he focuses on eternal, permanent issues and facts which are not influenced by time. Even amazed by the repeated claims of “title carriers” and institutional identity seekers, real seekers of the Ultimate Truth are undeterred by the arrogance of such fellows but continue with their daily purification by dint of jñāna—study of theoretical instructions—while applying them by dint of vijñāna, realised knowledge. Such honest, introspective, and chaste followers of the Founder-Ācārya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, are the real pillars of his movement and the guardians of his legacy. It was from such dedicated men and women that Srila Prabhupada formed his movement and spread it all over the world.

As imperfect as they were in the material sense, their perfection was in unconditionally following their spiritual master, seeking perfection in his instructions. Regardless of their intellectual merit, they knew it had no value without the blessings of their guru, and they were ready to go anywhere to fulfil his desire. In return, they tasted ecstasy and satisfaction not to be found in the hearts of today’s hollow title carriers. They did not join Srila Prabhupada for monetary reward or fame and glory. They served His Divine Grace for service’s sake. Some of them later turned into fame and glory seekers, often disregarding their disintegrating sense of reality. Some stayed with their heads on the ground, collecting the dust from Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. They—and all those who followed in the same spirit—are the real jewels in the treasure chamber Srila Prabhupada left behind. Jewels are always rare and precious, and one has to look for them. They do not fall from trees, and we do not stumble upon them so easily.

Often disregarded and stepped upon by title carriers, such dignified devotees are the real pillars of Srila Prabhupada’s movement, while others turn simply into decorations on the grand stage of Maya’s theatrical performance. Fascinated by the applause of the public, such temporary actors vanish when the curtain falls and the lights are switched off in the theatre halls. Meanwhile, the “small devotees” continue on their persistent path, purifying themselves and others by the instructions of the Founder-Ācārya, using any opportunity to disseminate what was given to them. Seeing themselves simply as postmen, they do not claim ownership of the post office but daily carry the mail given to them in the form of harināma, distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books, and a personal approach to those who care to hear. Their preaching is in the mode of sharing, not in the mode of installing themselves as “big men”. They represent the guru, not themselves; they serve the guru, knowing no more and preaching no more than what he has given.

ISKCON’s world in the hands of its “owners” is a very peculiar world, where even the most unqualified person can become a “big man” almost instantly by mere loyalty to the “owner”. In Srila Prabhupada’s presence, such attempts were instantly rectified by him, reminding us how small men we are. Even when he called his “big men” his “big guns”, they all knew that in reality they were merely tools in his hands.

Even in material society, to assume a leading position is connected with immense austerity. One has to cheat, one has to lie, and one has to fill out countless papers and learn many things one does not need, just to be recognised as a “big man”. In the peculiar ISKCON world, one simply has to renounce what one never had to begin with, learn a few ślokas, and look like a “devotee”, and instantly one gains recognition. It is enough to chant the Holy Name in whatever offensive fashion; it is enough to sit in front of a camera and “look good”. Surely one finds fools who easily accept such displays of pseudo-divinity.

Before sitting behind the desk of a boss of a big company, one has to eliminate many opponents and, year after year, tolerate the humiliating process of climbing the career ladder. When entering ISKCON, one is immediately recognised as a devotee even if one is not one at heart. As one of my truly honest godbrothers exclaimed in amazement, “This ISKCON is really like a desire tree!” Conceiving the Mahā-mantra as some kind of magic, such homemade ācāryas instantly jump into the most intimate pastimes of the Lord, imposing upon the public that they are already where others do not dare to enter.

Meanwhile, the “small men” take one step after another, considering their level of conditioning, following the process of “first regulate, then purify”. They make sure they are well situated and equipped for the fight with the illusory energy of the Lord according to their varṇa and corresponding āśrama. They ignore the fools who rush in where angels do not dare and daily collect their blessings by walking carefully and gradually, knowing that “water always finds its level”. Alarmed by the example of a yogi approached by a mouse who desired to become “something big”—a cat, a dog, or a tiger—only to be reduced again to a mouse due to arrogance, such chaste followers of His Divine Grace do not mind being ostracised by title carriers. In their own way, these title carriers also serve the Lord by attracting fools and hypocrites, separating them from the real devotees of the Lord. As one of my godbrothers corrected me when I was upset by the daring attempts of some “big men” to claim merit not given to them: “We should be grateful for the presence of hypocrites, as they collect whatever is not fixed, like a vacuum cleaner, cleaning the place.”

That there are always more dust than clean surfaces in this world is natural—we live in the material world. That fools are in the majority? Srila Prabhupada said that even materially speaking, society was always ruled by a minority, not a majority—quite the opposite of what today’s “demon-cratic” leaders want us to believe. It is not the number of followers that will ensure the future; it is their quality, as defined by the Founder-Ācārya. As one wise man said, “All religious movements that cater to the present needs of society will perish.” And so they do, along with the “big men” who represent them.

Recently, after reading the 53rd offering to Srila Prabhupada on the day of his Vyāsa-pūjā, one innocent devotee asked me how it is possible to maintain such an intense memory and relationship with Srila Prabhupada “for so many years”. I wondered at his question, as I feel like I joined Srila Prabhupada’s movement just yesterday. Compared to the millions of lifetimes I spent in various bodies in this material world, 53 years is nothing. Once seeing His Divine Grace, it is not difficult to realize that my relationship with him is eternal, as his words and instructions are eternal—not tinged by time, place, or circumstance, as some rascals claim. Surely, in managerial terms, Srila Prabhupada was pragmatic, but the essence of his teachings is never to be changed or modified to suit the needs of some “big men”. Seeing such attempts even in his presence, Srila Prabhupada humorously called such over-intelligent fellows “fertile-brain men”, meaning those who always seek to know what is not to be known. Such narcissistic fellows delight in impressing the ignorant public with “something special”.

In today’s peculiar ISKCON world, we find seminars being taught on “higher levels of Vedic knowledge” while participants still struggle with basic biological urges—falling in love, losing control of the senses, and above all, following the bizarre ideas of the mind. The rule “first serve, then deserve”, established by Srila Prabhupada, is often ignored, as illustrated by pious Hindu folk who believe that being born in India automatically grants brahminical status.

Meanwhile, serious devotees mind their position and persistently and honestly follow the process of purification given by the guru-paramparā. Due to the loss of guru-paramparā, even great established religions became mere material institutions, operating far from their original purpose. It is here that Kṛṣṇa’s instruction—to give up all religions and surrender unconditionally unto Him—becomes relevant, as religious institutions without guru-paramparā become simply a “fool’s paradise”, with their “big men” acting as chief clowns in Maya’s grand circus. When the circus leaves town, all the dust settles, and what remains are the local, ground-level maintainers of Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Imported preachers may deliver inspiration if bona fide, but once they move on, it is the local devotees who maintain what was given.

Such is the long-term scenario of Srila Prabhupada’s legacy. He envisioned a society, and society is based on small, family-type units that can ideally maintain personal relationships while serving the global need of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in today’s self-destructive society. “God is in the details,” say pious men. To serve the whole while never forgetting the parts from which it is built was Srila Prabhupada’s policy.

How many friends among my godbrothers have I lost because they became “big men”? Being perceived as not instrumental in their “grand schemes”, I was removed into the repository of their assets, occasionally labelled as disturbing due to my persistence in pointing to Srila Prabhupada’s words. I am not alone. We are a whole group of “ISKCON immigrants”, seeking refuge on islands that still exist where Srila Prabhupada’s words are valued—islands in the midst of an ocean of illusion, infested with dangerous sharks ready to consume whatever comes their way.

On these islands, the “small devotees” fight their battles against the illusory energy of the Lord, tolerating obstinate wives, macho-type husbands, the never-ending demands of children soon to leave home, and, above all, their day-and-night-present material body filled with mucus and stool. To make the best out of a bad bargain is the policy of such brave warriors, who pray for the mercy of the Founder-Ācārya to draw them closer to the Supreme Lord, to finally realize His beauty and His presence in all that we see and feel.

It is such brave “small men” who have earned the eternal credit of being part of Srila Prabhupada’s mission, assuming its eternal quality lifetime after lifetime.

As the sun rises every day, cutting short the lives of title carriers and impostors, the followers of eternity ignore its path and illuminate their lives with the torchlight of realised knowledge given by Srila Prabhupada, enabling them to walk through the darkness of illusion.

All glories to such dignified “small devotees”!