By Mahatma das
The first thing Srila Prabhupada explained to a friend of mine in their three hour meeting on how to run his business was this: "Don't compromise your principles." Srila Prabhupada often said, "I never compromised my principles. If I compromised I could have attracted more people, but then I would have given them a watered down product that would have neither been genuine nor pure. I was not prepared to compromise my principles even if no one joined my mission." The truth is that many people joined his mission; and they joined precisely because he did not compromise his principles! My friend recounts that when his industry was going through difficult times, his company continued to prosper and grow. He attributes his success to religiously following dharmic (higher order) principles. His company maintained higher principles of integrity and morality than his competitors. The result is that his company continues to be a leader in an industry where many have gone out of business.