Terpsichorean Paraplegia

You are the best devotee.

From a conversation between A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, better known as the Hare Krishna society, and one Bob Cohen, a Peace Corps worker in the 1970s:

Srila Prabhupada: [...] I don't consider myself the best devotee. I am the lowest.
Bob Cohen: No!
Srila Prabhupada: You are the best devotee.
Bob Cohen: Oh, no, no! What you say always seems right, so you must be the best devotee.
Srila Prabhupada: The thing is that even the best devotee comes to the second-class platform when he preaches.
Bob Cohen: What would the best devotee be doing?
Srila Prabhupada: The best devotee does not preach.
Bob Cohen: What does he do?
Srila Prabhupada: He sees that there is no need of preaching. For him, everyone is a devotee.

posted by chelonius @ 21:23