SRILA PRABHUPADA ASHRAYA PROGRAMME

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SRILA PRABHUPADA UPASAKA

Please answer this questionnaire and handover along with the first person/family member form
duly filled in.

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________

1. For how long you have been associating with the ISKCON Temple?

2. Do you regularly attend temple Mangal-arati?

3. For how long have you been chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mantra?

4. When and where do you chant most of your rounds?

5. Do you observe fasting on Ekadashi and other festival days as per Vaishnava calendar?

6. Do you worship Tulasi everyday?

7. Do you know the following practical aspects of devotional service:
a. Write below the prayers (in a run-on format) that we chant before honoring prasadam?
b. Write the mantras and the procedure for offering foodstuff [bhoga] to Lord Krishna?
c. Write the mantras for applying Vishnu tilaka to the 12 parts of the body?
d. Srila Prabhupadas picture is on the altar of the Mandir. Name the four previous spiritual
masters in the disciplic succession before Srila Prabhupada, i.e. his guru, param-guru, etc.
8. Have you executed steady devotional service during the past 12 months? List the services
executed.
9. How many times have you read the following books:
(a) Bhagavad Gita as it is. _______________
(b) Srimad Bhagavatam first canto. ________________
(c) Srimad Bhagavatam cantos 1 to 5(which cantos, if not all) ________________
(d) Srimad Bhagavatam cantos 6 to 9(which cantos, if not all)_________________
(e) Krishna book. ______________
(f) Caitanya Caritamrta(which volumes, if not all) _______________
(g) Teachings of Lord Chaitanya. ________________
(h) Nectar of Devotion. _____________________
(i) Which other BBT books have you read? _________________
10. Do you avoid offending vaishnavas and unconstructive criticism of other devotees?
(Yes/No)
11. FOR DEVOTEES WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE:
(a) How often do you visit the temple? ____________

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 (b)Do you practice a daily sadhana routine of rising before sunrise chanting, etc.? [Yes /
No]
(c) Have you been serving a local ISKCON temple on a regular basis? [Yes / No]
(d)Do you contribute any percentage or amount from your income to Lord Krishnas
service? [Yes / No]
Ifyes, give details:
_______________________________________________________________________
(e) Do you have plans for increasing your devotional service? [Yes / No]
(f) Do you avoid eating anything but prasadam? [Yes / No]
(g) Do you have Cows/pets/domestic animals? Please specify _________
(h) Does your occupation involve breaking regulative and other principles of
spiritual life?[Yes / No]
(i) How many hours do you watch TV everyday? _______ hours
(j) What type of programs? Please list
______________________________________________________
(k)How often you eat food in outside restaurant? ________ times in a month.

12. What time do you rise in the morning?

13. As soon as get up, what do you do ?
a) Chant Hare Krishna Mantra b) Chant Guru Pranama Mantra
c) Remember the deity form of the Lord d) All of the above e) None of the above.
14. Taking shelter of Srila Prabhupada - What do you understand by this? Please Explain.
15. How have you been benefitted by the contributions of Srila Prabhupada ? Explain in
your own words.

16. Read this passage carefully and answer the following questions :
You are all helping me in the execution of my mission, so please do not try to do anything
beyond the jurisdiction of my instructions. My will I have already disclosed to you all that each
and every one of you should chant the Mahamantra regularly in sixteen rounds, follow the four
regulative principles, try to distribute our books and literature, I can assure you that if you
follow my instruction as above mentioned there is no doubt about it that through me my
spiritual Master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura will be pleased and through His
mercy Lord Nityananda will be pleased. In this way Lord Caitanya and ultimately Radha
Krsna will be pleased and thus your life will be successful. (Letter to: Makhanlal 3 Jun, 1970)
a) What is the WILL disclosed and assurance given by Srila Prabhupada?
b) How are you planning to implement WILL of Srila Prabhupada in your life?
Directions for questions 17 to 30: State whether true or false
17. As the body changes the soul also changes.
a. True b. False
18. Samadhi means to constantly think of Krishna.
a. True b. False

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19. As per the analogy given by Srila Prabhupada the sunrays are compared to the Bhagavan
aspect of the Absolute Truth.
a. True b. False
20. A person must be a brahmana in order to become a spiritual master.
a. True b. False
21. After liberation the individual soul merges and becomes one with the Supreme Lord.
a. True b. False
22. The senses can be controlled only by engaging them in Krishnas service.
a. True b. False
23. The living entity in its purest state is the eternal servitor of Krishna.
a. True b. False
24. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has summarized this Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita
as being the contents for the whole text.
a. True b. False
25. Any work that is not done for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord is a cause of bondage.
a. True b. False
26. Activity in Krishna consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Krishna without
expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work.
a. True b. False
27. One has the right to perform his prescribed duty and is entitled to the fruits of action.
a. True b. False
28. Without the satisfaction of the spiritual master one cannot be promoted to the plane of
Krishna consciousness.
a. True b. False
29. Good actions do not cause any bondage.
a. True b. False
30. Yoga means to simply renounce the material activities.
a. True b. False
Directions for questions 31 to 34: Fill in the blanks
31. The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of __________ because they eat food
which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense
enjoyment, verily eat only __________.
32. The word _______________ as defined by Parashara Muni refers to one who possesses all
the six opulences in full.
33. Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesha because he conquered ___________________.
34. The size of the spirit soul is ____________________ part of the tip of hair.
35. Explain the tortoise analogy as given by Krishna.
36. What are the five primary topics discussed in the Bhagavad-gita?
37. Arrange the following in order of superiority.(Higher to Lower)
Mind 1. _______________

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 Dull matter 2. _______________
Soul 3. _______________
Intelligence 4. _______________
Senses 5. _______________
38. Read the following and answer the question. (Room Conversation May 28, 1977,
Vrindavana)
Satsvarupa Maharaja: Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, particularly
at that time when you are no longer with us. we want to know how first and second initiations
will be conducted.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I shall recommended some of you. After this is settled up I shall
recomend some of you to act as officiating acarya.

Tamala Krishna Maharaja: Is that called ritvik-acarya?

Srila Prabhupada: Ritvik. Yes.

a. What is your understanding about ritvik from the above conversation?
39. Read the following, popularly known as the July 9th Letter, sent by Prabhupada to
G.B.C and Temple Presidents regarding initiation in his physical absence.
Letter to: All G.B.C., All Temple Presidents
Vrindaban
9 July, 1977
To All G.B.C., and Temple Presidents
Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. Recently when all of the GBC members were with
His Divine Grace in Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada indicated that soon He would appoint some of His
senior disciples to act as "ritvik
- representative of the acarya, for the purpose of performing initiations, both first initiation and second
initiation. His Divine Grace has so far given a list of eleven disciples who will act in that capacity:
His Holiness Kirtanananda Swami
His Holiness Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami
His Holiness Jayapataka Swami
His Holiness Tamala Krsna Gosvami
His Holiness Hrdayananda Gosvami
His Holiness Bhavananda Gosvami
His Holiness Hamsaduta Swami
His Holiness Ramesvara Swami
His Holiness Harikesa Swami
His Grace Bhagavan dasa Adhikari
His Grace Jayatirtha dasa Adhikari
In the past Temple Presidents have written to Srila Prabhupada recommending a particular devotee's
initiation. Now that Srila Prabhupada has named these representatives, Temple Presidents may
henceforward send recommendation for first and second initiation to whichever of these eleven
representatives are nearest their temple. After considering the recommendation, these representatives
may accept the devotee as an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada by giving a spiritual name, or in the

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case of second initiation, by chanting on the Gayatri thread, just as Srila Prabhupada has done. The
newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, the
above eleven senior devotees acting as His representative. After the Temple President receives a letter
from these representatives giving the spiritual name or the thread, he can perform the fire yajna in the
temple as was being done before. The name of a newly initiated disciple should be sent by the
representative who has accepted him or her to Srila Prabhupada, to be included in His Divine Grace's
"Initiated Disciples" book.
Hoping this finds you all well.
Your servant,
Approved: Tamala Krsna Gosvami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Secretary to Srila
Prabhupada

*************************
a. How many were appointed by Srila Prabhupada as spiritual masters of ISKCON to
succeed him?
b. How many were appointed by Srila Prabhupada as ritviks to continue the initiating
process?
c. What is meant by ritvik? How is he involved in 1st and 2nd initiation?

d. When the initiation is given to a devotee by a ritvik, then whose disciple does he
become?
e. Is it true that many without having met Srila Prabhupada personally, were initiated as
Srila Prabhupadas disciples before 1977?
f. Explain how the prospective candidates can continue to become the disciples of Srila
Prabhupada through the ritvik system set up by him?
g. For formal initiation the following are required:
i) Ritvik ii) Temple President iii)GBC iv) All of the above
v) None of the above
40. Read the following and answer the question (Declaration of will by Prabhupada, 4th June,
1977)
The executive directors who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of
death or failure to act for any reason of the said directors, a successor director or directors
may be appointed by the remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple
following strictly all the rules and regulations of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness.
a. What are the qualifications required for a person to be appointed as a director in the future?
b. Does this willgive any clue that Srila Prabhupada will remain as initiating spiritual master
forever? Explain.
41. Read the following and answer the question. (Purport to CC Madhya lila 8.128)
rla Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat hkura also states that although one is situated as a
brhmaa, katriya, vaiya, dra, brahmacr, vnaprastha, ghastha or sannys, if he is
conversant in the science of Ka he can become a spiritual master as vartma-pradaraka-
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guru, dk-guru or ik-guru. The spiritual master who first gives information about spiritual
life is called the vartma-pradaraka-guru, the spiritual master who initiates according to the
regulations of the stras is called the dk-guru, and the spiritual master who gives
instructions for elevation is called the ik-guru. Factually the qualifications of a spiritual
master depend on his knowledge of the science of Ka.
a. Explain about diksha guru and siksha guru.
42. Read the following and answer the question. (SP Interview 16th July, 1975)
Reporter (2): What will happen to the movement in the United States when you die?
Prabhupda: I will never die.
Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! (laughter)
Prabhupda: I shall live forever from my books, and you will utilise.
a. Can Srila Prabhupada remain our eternal guru? Explain.

43. Read the following passage and answer the question

In this connection, we may inform that our disciples in Ka consciousness movement, those who
are ghasthas, they contribute at least fifty percent of their income. Yes. Most of them, they are
full-time engaged. But if one cannot be whole time engaged... Just like we, we have got our disciple,
Professor Howard Wheeler. He gives more than fifty percent of his income for developing our New
Vrindaban scheme. So we try to follow these principles laid down by Rpa Gosvm, that fifty
percent for Ka or Kas devotees, twenty-five percent for personal emergencies and twenty-
five percent for the dependent relatives.
(NoD Lecture, Vrindavan 16/10/1972)
a. What do you understand from the above passage?

44. Read the following passage and answer the question

Yes, I want that you give me the facility to write my books, but I can attend some meetings
of important people and elites. You have taken the right view of the importance of my
books. Books will always remain. That was the view of my Guru Maharaja, and I also have
taken it. Therefore I started my movement with my books. And we shall be able to
maintain everything with the sales of the books. The temples will be maintained by the
book sales, and if there are no more temples, then the books shall remain. (Letter to:
Hamsaduta Das : 73-11-08)
This, our book distribution is the most important task in our society. Therefore I am giving
so much stress and I am working so hard on this. Because this is my life and soul according
to the order of my Guru Mahrja. And by his grace it is to some extent successful. And I
took it seriously. I take it seriously still now. That is my life and soul. I never tried in India
to construct big temples or even in your country we didnt. I never tried. But I was selling
personally books. (Room Conversation Bombay 31/12/1976)
a. What do you understand from the above passage?