Srila Prabhupada 100k audio file Button Bar

Mail Archive

Links FAQ Feedback Text Search Index What's New?
[Prev][Next][Alpha][Date]

Lord Caitanya's Message of Tolerance

Dear Marutpati das

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thanks for your letter and I am pleased you did not take any offense.

I agree completely with your comment that preaching has to be motivated with love.
Unless we feel real compassion for the living entities suffering in the material

world there is no real preaching. And we can't feel that compassion unless we are
Krishna conscious -- unless we have developed real love and attachment to Krishna.
I have sometimes had that feeling on book distribution, seeing everyone suffering
in the material world and trying to help them by giving them Srila Prabhuapada's
books. But often I am not seing like that at all.

As far as ISKCON they have actually adjusted to the contemporary world. They have
become well and truely part of it. So much so that you don't nottice them any
more. Once a devotee stood out. It was very obvious he was different from the
other people. But now they don't stand out any more and they're doing more or less
what everyone else is doing [sense gratifaction]. Of course the spiritual side is
there to, but it is there for the Christians too.

The point you have brought up about using the philosophy to hit people on the head
is also very true. ISKCON has become more or less a "closed shop". Devotees are
trying to become "big devotees" in the assocation of devotees, they spend a lot of
time on "com", the internal ISKCON "internet", discussing philosophy and politics
with other devotees. But the real love and preaching spirit seems lacking. They
are, I feel, mainly karmis and jnanis in the dress of devotees.

Anyhow, for us, the main thing is to become Krishna conscious ourselves. That is
something practical. Everytime we chant: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare, the world changes
a little bit, some of the dirt on our heart is washed away and we come a step
closer to reestablishing our original, eternal relationship with Krishna. So we
should do it seriously, follow the four regulative principles, chant at least 16
rounds every day, read Srila Prabhupada's books constantly and try and tell people
something about Krishna... That is something practical we can do. And Krishna
knows our hearts, He knows our desires. If we want to help people by preaching
Krishna consciousness then Krishna will give us all facilities. After all that is
what He wants, He wants everyone to come back home, back to Godhead, so if we want
to help Him then He will supply everything we need:

             ananyas cintayanto mam
                ye janah paryupasate
             tesam nityabhiyuktanam
                yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

"But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form --
to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have."

"One who is unable to live for a moment without Krishna consciousness cannot but
think of Krishna tewnty-four hours, by hearing, chanting, offering prayers,
worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services,
cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are
all-auspicious and full of potencies; indeed they make the devotee perfect in
self-realization. Then his only desire it to achieve the association of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. this is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord,
such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Ksema refers
to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve
Krishna consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Krishna conscious the
Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life." (Srila
Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.22)

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

Your servant

Madhudvisa dasa

>Dear Prabhu, Thank you for your reply and no I take no offense.  My point is
>that to adjust to the contemporary world means to be effective.  The devotees
>are having practically no impact at least here in the United States, perhaps
>it is different elsewhere.  Not that they adopt a materialistic life, but
>they preach in such a way as to be heard.  If the preaching is not motivated
>by love, it will be ignored by 99%.  It is that love for the fallen souls
>that must be there, and I think it comes with real love for Krishna, when we
>see all souls as part and parcel of Krishna.  Unfortunately(in some way) the
>philosophy of KC is so perfect that it is like a jewel that philosophically
>minded intellectuals who are totally removed from their own fellings and thus
>from the feelings of others proceed to use as a club to beat people with.
> Please accept this short reply I will return to these questions at another
>time,  All glory to Srila Prabhupada.
>
>
Alphabetical Index | Date Index
[Home] [Index] [Articles] [Prabhupada] [Krishna] [Archive] [Links] [Feedback]

madhudvisa@krishna.org
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!