Remembering Srila Prabhupada - What do you know about preaching?

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Srila Prabhupada NectarWhat do you know about

preaching

 

One of Prabhupada's artist disciples, Bharadvaja dasa

had his own ideas of how he should preach, until

Prabhupada impressed him with his own desire and

definition for how to preach.

At one time of receiving his Gayatri mantra,

Bharadvaja asked, "Prabhupada, may I ask you a

question." Prabhupada nodded and Bharadvaja perused

it: "I would like to go and preach." He was about to

speak further, but Prabhupada cut him off.

"What do you know about preaching?" challenged

Prabhupada, and his disciple became speechless.

"Preaching means to describe Krsna," said Prabhupada.

"So you are doing it by your painting." Prabhupada

leaned forward across the table and looked into

Bharadvaja's eyes. "Please try to understand," said

Prabhupada. "If you don't do this important service,

who will do it? Go on painting."

Bharadvaja left the room, contemplating what

Prabhupada had said. He thought how he had wanted to

say to Prabhupada, "I want to go to Russia," Maybe if

he had said that, it would have made a difference.

But then Prabhupada's own words reverberated in his

mind, and finally he began to understand them. He

began to realise that just knowing another language

was no great qualification for preaching. But by

painting a picture of Krsna's name, fame, and pastimes

he could preach anywhere and very straightforwardly,

in the universal language that requires no

translation. The more he thought about it, the more

he became happy to follow Prabhuapda's order.

The next day Prabhupada met again with the ISKCON

artists, and Bharadvaja was eager to show Prabhupada

that he had understood his teachings. Prabhupada was

explaining the meaning of sannyasa, which he said was

to preach, by serving Krsna with body, mind and words.

Service with the mind, said Prabhupada, means the

intelligence, the artists' special task was to serve

Krsna with their intelligence. They should serve with

their intelligence and not become diverted by many

things. Thinking that he had finally understood the

point clearly, Bharadvaja spoke up.

"Prabhupada," he said, "the other day you said

preaching is to describe Krsna."

"Yes," said Prabhupada, "one should offer the words to

Krsna through speaking." Bharadvaja became bewildered

again, and his former desire to preach by travelling

and speaking words and not painting came to his mind.

He thought he had understood Prabhupada, but now as

Prabhupada enlarged his explanation, Bharadvaja

wondered.

"The artist can also preach," said Prabhupada, "in the

temple to the devotees." But mostly he continued to

stress that the artists sit and paint as their best

preaching. Seeing Bharadvaja's confusion, Prabhupada

turned to him.

"So, Bharadvaja. Where do you want to go?"

Bharadvaja felt himself falling into a trap, but he

could not resist it. "Russia," he said.

Prabhupada moved his head back in surprise. "Russia!"

he said, and he laughed. On that note Prabhupada

ended his conversation with the artists.

"I have been a fool now twice in front of Prabhupada,"

thought Bharadvaja, and he resolved never to again

bring up his restlessness in front of Prabhupada.

"when will I learn?" he thought. "Prabhupada wants me

to paint."

- From the Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

 

=Please Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna

Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare

Hare And Be Happy

 

 

 

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