Quarreling Amongst Ourselves Is Detrimental

Śrīla Prabhupāda viewed the quarreling among his disciples with a mix of fatherly patience and executive concern. While he often minimized the specific grievances as "childish" or "fraternal," he was stern about the consequences. He warned that if the devotees wasted their energy bickering over management or personal differences, it would be detrimental to the "missionary ambition." The standing order was to stop the "unnecessary strain," bury the hatchet, and let the purification of sankīrtana wash away the conflict.

Detrimental to the Mission

Śrīla Prabhupāda made it clear that internal friction was not just a personal issue; it was an impediment to his work. He explained that when devotees quarrel, the expansion of the mission suffers. He pleaded with his disciples to maintain peace so that he could focus on his primary duty—translating the scriptures—without being disturbed by management disputes.

• Either this department or that department, if you quarrel amongst yourselves it will be detrimental to my missionary ambition. Please therefore stop this unnecessary strain.
• Why Bhagavan should interfere with Stockholm. I appoint GBC for peaceful management of affairs and now you are creating disturbances amongst yourselves. So how can I be peaceful to translate my work.

Childish and Fraternal

Often, Śrīla Prabhupāda did not take the content of the quarrels seriously. He compared them to the bickering of children or the inevitable disagreements between husband and wife—things that should be ignored or tolerated. He recognized that "fraternal quarrels" are natural in a family, but he urged his disciples to grow up and not let these minor issues disrupt their spiritual lives.

• Your wife is a good devotee, that I know. But one thing, do not pick up any childish quarrels together, live peacefully and go on with your Krishna conscious business.
• Fighting between husband and wife is not to be taken very seriously. So if you have any respect for me, I request you not to quarrel with your husband. Live peacefully, chant Hare Krishna and try to serve the cause as best as possible.
• I can understand that Nandarani is a little displeased with Aniruddha, but I think this is a family quarrel between brother and sister, and you may try to mitigate it.

Bury the Hatchet

The practical instruction for handling quarrels was simply to stop. Śrīla Prabhupāda used the idiom "bury the hatchet" to tell his disciples to let go of past grievances. He emphasized that holding onto grudges is contrary to the cooperative spirit required to push the movement forward.

• The main thing is we must not carry grudges or continue to quarrel amongst one another. Bury the hatchet and join together to push on this movement cooperatively.
• If you work conjointly, without quarreling amongst yourselves, a tremendous service can be done towards the expansion of our mission.

Cleansing Power of Sankīrtana

Ultimately, quarreling is a symptom of a dirty heart or a lack of absorption in Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s prescription was always positive engagement. He assured his disciples that if they threw themselves into sankīrtana (preaching and chanting), the tendency to quarrel would naturally cease because their minds would be clean.

• Sankirtana will keep everyone's mind clean and surely this quarreling will cease.
• If we become attracted by the rituals only or formulas, and quarrel on that point (it is not good).

Conclusion

Quarreling is a distraction that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cannot afford. While some friction is inevitable due to individuality, it becomes detrimental when it eclipses the mission. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s desire was for his disciples to be "ideal men" who could settle their differences peacefully, ensuring that the energy of the movement was directed outward to save the fallen souls, rather than inward in petty dispute.

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 Our Quarreling With Each Other (Disciples of SP). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.