Preach Krsna Consciousness or remain kanistha (materialistic devotee)
Madhya 12.135 purport-
The word jīva-hiṁsā (envy of other living entities) actually means stopping the preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Preaching work is described as paropakāra, welfare activity for others. Those who are ignorant of the benefits of devotional service must be educated by preaching. If one stops preaching and simply sits down in a solitary place, he is engaging in material activity. If one desires to make a compromise with the Māyāvādīs, he is also engaged in material activity. A devotee should never make compromises with nondevotees. By acting as a professional guru, mystic yogī or miracle man, one may cheat and bluff the general public and gain fame as a wonderful mystic, but all this is considered to be dust, straw and grains of sand within the heart. In addition, one should follow the regulative principles and not desire illicit sex, gambling, intoxicants or meat.To give us practical instructions, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu cleansed the temple twice. His second cleansing was more thorough.
Sept 16 1976
Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi. That is His (Lord Caitanya’s) mission. It is not that “Become a big Vaiṣṇava and sit down and imitate.” This is all rascaldom. So don’t follow this thing. So at least we cannot advise you in that way. We have learned from our Guru Mahārāja that preaching is very, very important thing, and when one is actually an experienced preacher, then he is able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense. Before that, this so-called chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you may practice without any offenses…And giving up all other business to make a show of a big Vaiṣṇava, that is not required. Thank you very much. (end)
(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio)
“This boy hears very nicely. He does not go away,” the first impression he gave to other godbrothers. “So I shall make him disciple.” These very words he said. Actually I did not follow him in the beginning. High philosophical speaking and I was a new boy. I could not follow him, but actually I was so much glad to hear him. That’s all. So that was my qualification, whatever you may say. I was simply asking, “When Guru Maharaja will speak? When he will speak? When?” And I will sit down and go on hearing, and I will understand or not understand – –others will disperse — I will not disperse. That he marked. Yes. First. There was first one instance. At that time I was not initiated. There was a circumambulation of whole Vrndavana. So although I was not initiated, I was one of the important members of the… So I thought, “Let me go. What these people are doing, circumambulating all over Vrndavana?” So I went to Mathura. Then I went to the Vrndavana interior, which place was known as Kosi. So in that Kosi one of my godbrothers declared that “Prabhupada is going tomorrow back to Mathura. So he will speak this evening. So anyone who wants to hear him, they can stay. And others may prepare to…” …. So they were to go to see some other temple which is called Sesayi Temple. So although I was new man, I did not like to go to see the Sesayi Temple. I decided that “I shall hear.” So at that time I was new, so all other, some of my important godbrothers, they were sitting like this, and I was sitting. At last, you see. But he knew that “This boy is new.” Everyone has gone, all others except a few selected godbrothers. So he marked it that “This boy is interested to hear me.” So hearing is very important. Hearing. Just like Arjuna heard from Krsna. Come on. (People entering) (Break) …because I was serious for hearing, and therefore now I am serious about kirtanam, means speaking, or preaching. Do you follow what I say? Yes. So one who is serious about hearing, he can become a future nice preacher. Sravanam kirtanam. Next stage is developed. That is development. If one has actually heard nicely, then he will speak nicely. Sravanam kirtanam smaranam. Then consciousness will automatically develop because when you speak or you hear, unless your mind is concentrated, your consciousness is right, you cannot rightly hear or speak. Sravanam kirtanam smaranam pada-sevanam. And then the development, “How I shall serve Krsna? Krsna is so loving. Krsna is so great,” that automatically comes. Not silent, but activity.”
May 10 1968 letter–
“Your ambition for chanting Hare Krishna exclusively is very good. But sacrificing the results of action is as good. A concrete example is Arjuna. He fought very chivalrously under the instructions of the Lord, and the Lord certified him to be the best devotee and friend of the Lord. So there is no distinction between chanting and offering the results of one’s activity. Sometimes under the garb of chanting people take to the habit of laziness, which is not required at all. Execution of devotional service is prescribed first withenthusiasm and patience. One can execute this transcendental activities staying as he is, but he must follow and try to apply in practical life the instructions as they are given in the Bhagavad Gita or Srimad-Bhagwatam, received through the proper channel.
Dec 12 1973 LA
Prabhupāda: The Deity worship program is meant for us to keep us safe. If we neglect Deity worship, we shall also fall. But that is not the all duty finished. Arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate. Arcā means Deity. If anyone is worshiping the Deity very nicely, but na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, but he does not know anything more, who is devotee, who is nondevotee, what is the duty to the world, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, he is material devotee. He is material devotee. So we have to take the responsibility to understand who is actually a pure devotee and what is our duty to the people in general, and then you make advancement. Then you become madhyama-adhikārī. Madhyama-adhikārī, advanced devotee. ….
…. Unless we take care of the books and preach and read ourself, understand the philosophy, this Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within few years. Because there will be no life. How long one can artificially go on, “Hare Kṛṣṇa! Haribol!” That will be artificial, no life.
Yaśomatīnandana: That’s right Prabhupāda. We are so foolish, we never realize anything unless you tell us like that. Without preaching…
Prabhupāda: Without preaching, without understanding philosophy, you cannot keep your strength. Everyone should be thoroughly well-conversed with the philosophy which we are putting… That means you must read thoroughly every day. So many books we have got. And Bhāgavata is so perfect that any verse you read, you get a new enlightenment. It is so nice. Either Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata. But it is not ordinary writing.
Some conclusions– In these few statements by Srila Prabhupada anyone can see how important it is to follow the regulative principles, worship the Deity daily and then preach what you know about Krsna. This is the formula he has given and is the same given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If we like this “Hari Hari bol” business, love feasts, association of devotees,etc, then we must take seriously the entire process of purification. And that begins he tells us, by hearing from him the spiritual master. When that hearing becomes more intensified, we will naturally want to tell it to all others. Everything auspicious follows this program.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
