When Srila Prabhupada was visiting Detroit in 1976, he met with two clergymen. First he asked them if they believed that God is a person. "Yes," they agreed. Then he asked, "Aren't we also eternal persons meant to love God?" They agreed again. "And isn't the only thing separating us from enjoying ecstatic life with God sin?" Once again they agreed. Like a pouncing lion, Srila Prabhupada challenged, "Then why don't you teach people how to lead a sinless life!"

Srila Prabhupada went on to show that meal-eating, illicit sex, intoxicants, and gambling pollute people's consciousness, and that if the clergymen rose above these things, others would follow their example. Mundane welfare work or political agitation would be simply a waste of time.

As they left with flower garlands around their necks, packages of Bengali sweets in their hands, and Bhagavad-gitas under their arms, one of them turned to Srila Prabhupada. "Why, I feel like we've become your disciples." Srila Prabhupada chuckled. After they'd gone he quoted a Sanskrit verse which confirmed that only a gosvami–someone who has gained complete control
over his bodily senses–can give real spiritual life to his disciples. And we knew we had a gosvami for our spiritual master.

Badarinarayana Swami, from a 1978 BTG