Sometimes criticized for wearing gold ring

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I Am Sometimes Criticized for Wearing a Gold Ring

December 10, 2025

I am sometimes critcized when I wear a gold ring. I do not purchase rings. Sometimes they are given to me as an offering of love. Following the insructions of Srila Rupa Goswami I accept this offering of love. And then at an opportune time I can give away such gifts also.

Srila Prabhupada was also criticized for this. Here is how he responded in conversation with a criticizing guest on 5 August 1971 in London:

Guest: Wy do you have gold rings which are very expensive?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Dhanañjaya: "Why do you have gold rings?"
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Dhanañjaya: "Why do you have gold rings?"
Prabhupāda: Because you have given me, just to please me.
Guest Just to please you?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If some my disciples gives me some ring—I have not purchased it—so just to please my disciple I put it. [laughter from devotees] And when there is opportunity, I give it to somebody. That's all.
Guest: Well, I don't think [indistinct].
Prabhupāda: Why you are so envious? [laughter] That's not very good.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Srila Prabhupada Accepts Loving Gifts from His Disciples

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All Glories to Srila Prabhupāda

Thank You very much for Your kindness and guidance 🙏🏻

Srila Gurudev, please help clarify a few doubts. Quality wise the soul is same as Supreme Lord i.e. eternal, blissful & full of knowledge. However, it is said "consciousness of the individual soul is prone to be forgetful" (BG 2.20, purport).

Please enlighten
1. Why the individual soul is prone to be forgetful, although it is always of same quality ?
2. Being forgetful seems to be related to mind & intelligence whereas the soul is seperate from the two. So, soul mustn't have any forgetfulness.
3. How to understand Consciousness, Mind, Intelligence & Soul ?

Your most foolish servant
Prabhupāda Das

Answer

From: Sri Vrindavan Dhama

My Dear Prabhupada das,

Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

I am very happy that you are inquiring from me. Please continue to do so until your intelligence is fully satisfied.

Krishna is fully independent. Therefore since we are part and parcel of Him we also have the quality of independence. This independence allows us to choose whether we want to remember Him or forget Him. Since He is our most dear friend, being kind upon is if we sometimes want forgetfulness He lets us have it.

It is our actual spiritual selves who choose to be forgetful. This is the atma, the self, the soul. The mind and intelligence are tools that are used by the atma.

The soul, the atma, possesses consciousness.

I hope this meets you in the best of health and in a cheerful mood.

Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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15 December – Depart Kuala Lumpur
15 December – Arrive in Melbourne, Australia
23 December – Depart from Melbourne
23 December – Arrive in Austin, Texas USA

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