Change the Public Not the Philosophy
Our process is to show Krishna Consciousness as it is, not as others want to see it. By showing KC in this way, you are making the thing less important.
It is not that we should change to accommodate the public, but that we should change the public to accommodate us.
Bombay 28 December, 1971
Brooklyn
My dear Yogesvara,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge your letter of 17 December, 1971, along with copies of your advertising work, slides, and Dutch BTG. I am very pleased to see that the foreign literature is being produced nicely under your enthusiastic supervision. Just try to increase more and more our output of such books and magazines in many languages– otherwise how will preaching go on in these places?
Though we have been settled in European countries for many years now, only now you are printing the first book in French language, and there is only one book done in German language. So the record has not been good, therefore our preaching work in these countries has not been going very well, and I think now things are not going too well in France and Germany centers. So if somehow or other you can produce profuse books for these places, spend your all time translating, organizing, printing and distributing such books in foreign languages, then I think you will be able to improve the situation there. If there are amply books, everything else will succeed. Practically our Society is built on books. One book is not very impressive. Still, a blind uncle is better than no uncle at all, so it is very nice that one book has appeared, and that BTG is appearing at least several issues in other languages. But now try to produce at least four or five new books per year in several languages, plus regularly BTG every month. That will be your success. You are very sincere and hard-working boy–now just take good direction from your senior godbrothers and apply yourself fully to this very great responsibility of producing numerous books in foreign languages.
I don’t think there is need to divert your attention by producing advertising. I have seen your advertisements as shown to me by Syamasundara., and I think you have made the thing less important. This kind of ad is not good, it is not grave. Our process is to show Krishna Consciousness as it is, not as others want to see it. By showing KC in this way, you are making the thing less important. It is not that we should change to accommodate the public, but that we shoud change the public to accommodate us. Better you devote your full time to one thing only, not many things. That way your enthusiasm and talents will have big effect by being concentrated. Therefore, kindly concentrate for producing books and magazines in European languages, as many as possible, and make this your life work. These books are the best advertising, they are better than advertising. If we simply present Krishna Consciousness in a serious and attractive way, without need to resort to fashionable slogans or tricks, that is sufficient. Our unique asset is our purity. No one any where can match it. That will be noticed eventually and appreciated, as long as we do not diminish or neglect the highest standard of purity in performing our routine work, not that we require to display or announce ourselves in very clever ways to get attention. No, our pure standard is enough. Let us stand on that basis.
I hope this will meet you in good health and lively mood.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS.sda
[71-12-28]
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
About the Author
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
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I am a book distributer in India. Many people have bought the books. However till date not even one person has come back saying that he is interested to pursue KC. I do not know if the problem is with me or the people but I feel I have failed in preaching as not even one person has become interested. What
should I do? Is my distribution futile? Also should book distribution be compulsorily accompanied by loud chanting?
Hare Krishna Rahul
No. Your book distribution is a grand success. Do not expect that the people will come back to you saying they are interested in pursuing Krishna consciousness. That is not our business. Our business is to give them Srila Prabhupada in the form of his transcendental books and encourage them to read Prabhupada’s books, and if we get a donation from them for the books they will feel obliged to read them because they need to get the value for their money. So simply by touching the book, simply by reading one page, their life is changed. It does not necessarily mean that they will instantly want to shave up and join the temple. Krishna consciousness can take some time to develop. But by getting the book and paying for it and reading something from it their Krishna consciousness has began and as Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita that one started this Krishna consciousness can not be stopped and it will be completed.
So we have to have faith in the power of Srila Prabhupada’s books and keep on distributing them and not expect that the people will come back to us. You distribute books and the people go everywhere with them. Some will become devotees but you may not see them. So don’t worry, just keep on distributing the books and encouraging the people you distribute them to to read them.
As you distribute Prabhupada’s books and preach more and more you will become more purified and advanced in Krishna consciousness also. And as you become more purified then you will be able to preach with more potency. But the real preaching is giving the people Prabhupada’s books and encouraging them to read them so Prabhupada will preach to them directly..
All glories to your service.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna,
In these times I feel it is important to distribute original edition of books of Srila Prabhupada than the current edited ones as they are lacking many of original concepts put forward by Srila Prabhupada.
Yes. We have wholesale cases of Srila Prabhupada’s books available at the best possible prices for great souls like you to distribute. So please purchase cases of Srila Prabhuapda’s original books and distribute them:
https://krishnastore.com/books-wholesale-om-21_37.html
Thankyou my master, O Srila Prabhupada,
You said” Our unique asset is our purity”. O my master, please donot let me forget this statement any single moment ever.
Oh my master, please save me.
fallen soul