by Tulsi das
The movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Is based on compassion to the fallen conditioned souls. Because of this
compassion He spread the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra throughout the
entire Bharata Varsha. And later, by the via media of Srila Prabhupada, He
spread the chanting of the holy name all over the world.
Srila Prabhupada’s going to the West
is a true act of compassion and humility. For a person who was a respected sannyasi
living in Vrindavan to leave everything and go to the West where no one knew
him, where he had no shelter, and when he was 70 years old. Srila Prabhupada
singlehandedly established so much in the West in terms of temples, initiated
devotees, printed books and so on.
Many times Srila Prabhupada gave the
credit of his movement’s success to his disciples. He would even say they were
sent by his Guru Maharaja to assist him.
There is much in common between the
mood of Srila Prabhupada and that of Prahlada Maharaja. Much in common between
their humility, gratefulness and compassion. Prahlada Maharaja says:
My dear Lord of the Vaikuntha
planets, where there is no anxiety, my mind is extremely sinful and lusty,
being sometimes so-called happy and sometimes so-called distressed. My mind is
full of lamentation and fear, and it always seeks more and more money. Thus, it
has become most polluted and is never satisfied in topics concerning You. I am
therefore most fallen and poor. In such a status of life, how shall I be able
to discuss Your activities? (Bhagavatam, 7.9.39)
Prahlada’s compassion is also express
in the following verse:
O best of the great personalities, I
am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully
absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the
fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and
maintaining their families, societies and countries. I am simply concerned with
love for them. (Bhagavatam, 7.9.43)
Purport: Prahlada Maharaja
was happy and unhappy simultaneously. He felt happiness and transcendental
bliss because of his being Krishna conscious, yet he felt great unhappiness for
the fools and rascals who make elaborate plans to be happy in this material world.
In the same humble and compassioned
mood Srila Prabhupada says:
Nowadays the devotees in ISKCON are
using different approaches of preaching. And often there are discussions what
the best ways to reach the people are. In India, emphasis is still given to the
direct approach and presentation of Krishna consciousness – great pandals with
kirtans, lectures and prasadam, harinams, strong book distribution, home
programs, student preaching. In the West devotees nowadays are using more
indirect methods of preaching – kirtans in yoga studios, yoga lessons, restaurants.
They use the so-called bridge preaching. Some devotees say we shouldn’t change
anything and just follow the things as Srila Prabhupada established them. Other
devotees are of the opinion that we should be ready to adjust our preaching methods
according to the people in modern days.
In his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam
7.9.44, Srila Prabhupada says: The members of the Krishna consciousness
movement are not at all interested in so-called meditation in the Himalayas or
the forest, where one will only make a show of meditation, nor are they
interested in opening many schools for yoga and meditation in the cities.
Rather, every member of the Krishna consciousness movement is interested in
going door to door to try to convince people about the teachings of Bhagavad-gita
As It Is, the teachings of Lord Caitanya. That is the purpose of the Hare Krishna
movement.
We can use various methods for giving
Krishna consciousness to the people, but ultimately, we must give them Krishna
consciousness. The main principles should stay the same, although some of the
details may be changed in accordance with time, place and circumstances. The
ultimate result should be that people will start becoming devotees – that they will
accept Krishna as the Supreme, chant Hare Krishna, follow the regulative
principles, serve Krishna in the association of devotees and read the books of Srila
Prabhupada.
In the second verse of the Nectar of
Instruction one of the principles destroying bhakti is niyama-agraha. If one is
following the rules of bhakti mechanically or whimsically, or not following
them at all, that can be detrimental to our devotional servise. Just to tell
philosophy to people mechanically without taking in consideration their
individual situation would be one type of niyama-agraha. Or, to be concerned simply
with the situation of the people and how they would feel and never present the
philosophy fully is another type of niyama-agra. We should be able to present
the actual siddhanta in a polite way according to the individual, and with
proper examples. Even if the person does not become a devotee, he will at least
appreciate the devotees and respect them and the philosophy.
As far as I am concerned, I have the
faith that giving to the people the books of Srila Prabhupada is one of the
most effective ways to preach, because I myself became a devotee by getting a
book of Srila Prabhupada’s. And I know how tremendously it changed my life.
Our personal example is also very
important. People are listening to what we are saying, but more than that they
are looking at what we are doing. The more perfect we are in our personal
lifestyle, behavior and actions, the more seriously people will take us. Living
a pure lifestile is a preaching in itself.
Whatever action a great man performs,
common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the
world pursues. (Bhagavad-gita, 3.21)
As Srila Advaita Acharya told Haridas
Thakur, some people give a nice personal example but do not preach, others do
preach but do not give a nice personal example; and you are the best of all
because of doing both.
If I must speak for myself, taking in
consideration my background, if I had to wait to purify my hearth from all the
dirty things and only then preach, that would take quite some time. That’s why
we are trying to do some preaching although we are not pure, hoping that in
this way we will attract the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. It is this mercy that is our qualification to advance spiritually,
not our own purity.
However, anyone who tries sincerely
to present Bhagavad-gita As It Is will advance in devotional activities and
reach the pure devotional state of life. (Bhagavad-gita, 18.68, purport)
As a conclusion, we can use different
preaching methods and tactics but we have to present the actual philosophy of
Krishna consciousness in a respectful and gentle manner. Give the true substance
in our own words and with our personal example and you will ultimately see that
people are becoming devotees.
Hare Krishna
