Preaching Guidance:
Keen and Careful

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to the devotees in Venezuela
13 November 2011

Question: When we are preaching or trying to speak to people at preaching programmes, sometimes we see people do not understand anything that we are trying to say about Krishna consciousness. Shall we worry about this, or shall we try to improve ourselves?...

No, never worry. I can give you an example. One time in 1995, when I was a brahmachari, I went preaching to one village near Kolkata. When I told them about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they told me that they had never heard the name of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! That is here in India, in Bengal!

You must understand that these people are all in darkness, but when there is a dark place and you keep some light there, all darkness is removed. So, it will come slowly, slowly, do not worry.

They cannot understand now, but it is like a piece of iron that has been kept outside and is now covered with rust. You need to apply some chemical, brush it, then all rust will go away. Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur himself said that if want to make somebody a devotee, you have to shed gallons and gallons of blood. Like, if a patient is going to die and needs blood, you need to give your blood to save them. So, you must give your blood, your energy.

I went to that village where they did not know about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 1995, and now from that same village every year three hundred devotees come for Gaura Purnima...

Any other questions?

Question: Sometimes when we are preaching or telling others about the pastimes of the Lord, especially to kids, we have to adapt the words that we use so that they understand what we are saying. I am not sure if it is completely correct to do this...

This is not a problem. You must understand that different people have different quality and qualification. When the person has a high qualification, you use high sloka and high preaching at that time, but where there is kamala sraddha, when there is little devotion, when there is not much conception, then you must give little knowledge, not to preach so many big things. You must see what is appropriate.

If you first give many things and say, "Oh, not to do! Not to do! Not to do! Not to do!" people will run away. You tell them, "Hey! Why no tilak? Why long hair? Why pants? Why shirt? Why this? Why that?" They will tell you, "Baba! I do not need this Krishna consciousness, I better go home."

Question: Sometimes when we preach, I tell people that our life is twenty-four hours' service, that Krishna consciousness is the religion of all world, and that you are a spiritual soul. I also try to preach by my own example, although I can commit some mistake or offence...

Yes, this is good. Not so many things are necessary, light things are enough. You need to just give them some sound vibration, sabda-taranga. Tell them, "Chant the Holy Name, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and you will be very happy." Only simple matter is necessary. When they start chanting the maha-mantra, they can easily understand and feet it themselves. If they starting chanting the maha-mantra, it will easily remove their material desires and then they can understand everything themselves, gradually.

You must also tell the new people about Krishne-karmarpan (কৃষ্ণে কর্ম্মার্পণ, offering the results of one's activities to Krishna). Tell them they can stay in their houses, and if they do what they are doing but for the Lord, it will be service. They need to understand the difference between service and karma. They do not have to give up their work, give up their business, stop their love and affection for the children, or stop looking after their house—they can do everything, but do it as service. If you think about the Lord, then everything will go to the Lord. This is called Krishne-karmarpan. If you drink some water and remember Krishna, it will be taking prasadam; if you drink a glass of water and remember Gurudev, you will be taking his prasadam. In this way you can use yourself as a servitor.

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