They were extensions of their magnanimous spiritual master

Srila Prabhupada intended to initiate many Venezuelan devotees but there was a controversy over who was eligible. Those first initiates, who had been in the movement for a year, were expecting brahmana initiation from him during his visit but after the candidates had failed both a written and an oral exam on Krishna conscious philosophy, the temple leaders decided the devotees weren't qualified for second initiation at this time. When a lively discussion of the upcoming initiations occurred outside Prabhupada's door, Prabhupada came out into the hall. The devotees explained the situation and he asked the temple president, the devotees' qualifications. "Well, Prabhupada, they go out on sankirtana every day."

"Then why don't you give them your mercy?" Prabhupada said.

Prabhupada was teaching his leaders what it meant. It didn't mean being lenient or slack or allowing a devotee to break the rules and say it was all right, but it meant seeing the good, the devotees were doing. Prabhupada said that in Kali-yuga, if you see a spark of inclination to spiritual life in someone, then you have to fan it. It is not sufficient either just to turn that spark into a small flame, but the devotee has to keep working with the conditioned soul until the flame is strong and going on its own. Prabhupada could understand that the devotees wanted to be initiated in his personal presence. It was not expected that he would come back. So he had asked that they be given mercy. They were distributing his books every day on sankirtana. Therefore they were extensions of their magnanimous spiritual master. "So why not give them mercy?"