Blind Leading the Blind - Prabhupāda’s Critique of Godless Leadership
Śrīla Prabhupāda was a fearless critic of any leadership that ignored the existence of God. He often quoted the Vedic aphorism andha yathāndhair upanīyamānās, which describes the tragedy of a blind man being led by another blind man. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the "blindness" of modern leaders stems from their lack of spiritual vision and their obsession with the bodily concept of life. Without a connection to the Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, such leadership inevitably leads society toward chaos and spiritual ruin.
Definition of a Blind Leader
A leader is considered blind if he is devoid of transcendental knowledge. Regardless of their academic degrees or political status, Śrīla Prabhupāda labeled those who do not understand the soul as rascals. Because these leaders are themselves bound by the stringent laws of material nature, they are incapable of delivering their followers from the miseries of life.
- Andha means blind man. If one blind man is trying to lead other blind men, then what is the benefit? The leader is blind and the follower is blind. Then there will be no result.
- Difficulty is these rascals are going on as scholar, dehatma-buddhih. Their life is bodily concept of life, and they are passing as scientist, scholars, leaders, politicians, and they are leading us andha yathandhair. They are blind, & they are leading us.
- If a blind man pretends to help another blind man cross a road, then both the blind leader and the blind follower shall fall into the further darkness of some unseen ditch. Everyone who is devoid of transcendental knowledge is just like a blind man.
Offering Stones Instead of Bread
The goal of any leader should be to provide the ultimate benefit to the people. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda noted that modern leaders provide only temporary material arrangements that fail to satisfy the soul's inner longing for Kṛṣṇa. He compared this to a father giving a stone to a hungry child who is crying for bread.
- Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are actually crying for Krsna. But these false leaders, these blind leaders who do not know, are giving stone instead of bread.
- Progress in material advancement is blind, and the leaders of such material advancement are also blind. They are leading their followers in the wrong way.
- The blind leaders must understand the Supreme Being and then try to implement the kingdom of God.
Failure of "Isms" and False Hope
Śrīla Prabhupāda observed that people elect one incompetent leader after another, hoping for a solution to their problems. Because these leaders do not know the destination of life (na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum), they create various "isms" and plans that ultimately fall into the "unseen ditch" of material reactions and hellish conditions.
- They do not know that their real problem is how to approach the Supreme Lord, Visnu. And the leaders, so-called leaders, who have created so many problems, they also do not know; therefore the leaders are blind and the followers are blind.
- The leader, blind leader, and the blind follower, they're all going to hell. This is the position of the world.
- The rascal leader is also blind and the followers are blind, so both of them are doomed. Therefore the conclusion is, the modern civilization is misguided.
The Remedy: Spiritual Vision
The only way to rectify a society led by the blind is to introduce the "eye ointment" of transcendental knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda established the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to provide the training and vision necessary for leaders to truly understand the laws of God and guide humanity toward real happiness.
- This Krsna consciousness movement is being spread all over the world just to remedy this gross ignorance. People in general are misled by blind leaders.
- This sort of bluffing blind leaders cannot make happy the human society. This is the only solution: to push on Krsna consciousness movement, love of Godhead. Everyone will be happy, the human society.
- You require a leader; we require a leader. That is wanted. Without leader we cannot go. But if you select a bad leader, blind leader, then you remain blind.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s critique of blind leadership is a call for a radical shift in human priorities. He taught that a leader’s primary qualification is not economic or political expertise, but spiritual realization. By following leaders who are themselves guided by the perfect instructions of Kṛṣṇa, society can avoid the pitfalls of materialism and achieve the ultimate goal of life. By understanding and addressing these concerns, his followers can ensure that the sacred mission he established continues to stand strong for generations to come.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Blind Leaders. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.