AncientMariner Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 I get confused about preaching because I was reading that people that know about Krishna but do not preach are condemned by Prabhupada but at the same time you are not supposed to preach to people that don't want to hear it are you? I try to mention even some of this stuff to my family members and they sometimes get mad so I give up preaching, is that alright? I don't preach about Krishna to them I just try to get them to follow regulative principles if at all possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yasodanandana Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 I get confused about preaching because I was reading that people that know about Krishna but do not preach are condemned by Prabhupada •••the word preaching has a very broad sense, basically we preach living our life in a krsna conscious way and givin the example of being a very happy, moral, helpful, compassionate person... this is mostly "preaching".. if we get krsna conscious we are automatically preaching, the people see us and they ask themselves why we are so happy... then they ask to us and we can speak but at the same time you are not supposed to preach to people that don't want to hear it •••yes.. even if we reduce the preaching as mere "speaking", it is a very difficult art.. it is our own important responsability to understand when it is possible to speak and what it is possible and useful to say according guna and karma of whom we are "preaching"... all the useless offence they do caused by our wrong preaching fall entirely on our head I try to mention even some of this stuff to my family members and they sometimes get mad so I give up preaching, is that alright? •••if they get mad, it is possible that it is not all their faults.. so better, for now, to give up "speaking" (not "preaching", if they got angry it was not a preaching)... better to advance in krsna consciousness, to be a better person and they will see it.. this is preaching I don't preach about Krishna to them I just try to get them to follow regulative principles if at all possible. •••aarghh!! :-)... wich regulative principles? they do not know or they do not accept the reason to do it! only you have voluntarily and freely accepted krsna consciousness, or you are beginning to do it, so you have to follow... but if they see you happy (so check constantly if you're happy!) they will do what you are doing to be happy like you chanting hare krsna (the most important thing, the eessence and the goal of following any principle or behaviour) and maybe doing the other connected activities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priitaa Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 I get confused about preaching because I was reading that people that know about Krishna but do not preach are condemned by Prabhupada but at the same time you are not supposed to preach to people that don't want to hear it are you? I try to mention even some of this stuff to my family members and they sometimes get mad so I give up preaching, is that alright? I don't preach about Krishna to them I just try to get them to follow regulative principles if at all possible. Haribol prabhu, Here is my understanding, for whatever its worth. Prabhupada wanted us to preach, but first save yourself. A drowning man can't save another drowning man. After that, I don't know that he said those who don't preach are condemned, tho I think he may have suggested certain types of nonpreachers are sometimes selfish, but since I dont have a quote on hand I can't say for certain. It is correct, however, that we should not preach to those who don't want to hear. Matter of fact, we could be causing them to make an offense. In which case, the best preaching (for them) may be no preaching. Sometimes it is less effective to preach about the regulative principles than it is to preach about Krishna, tho its all individual. But in an age where abortion is aceptable, meat eating is the norm, celebrating Christmas (or religious holidays) with wine or intoxicants as the method, many hear the 4 regs and think we are fanatics. Rupa Goswami has explained if we can simply help people develop some 'shadow' attachment for Krishna, we can explain the rules later. I often focus on love of God, and how beautiful He is, that God is blue and plays a flute, and how His love is unconditional, etc. These are just suggestions, cuz I realize there are some out there who do respond to the 4 regs, just that they are getting fewer and fewer in numbers. I also wish to clarify, my definition of 'preaching' is 'sharing' Krishna with others. Moving on, for those who appear to be open, we can gently preach. Sometimes they switch tracks in mid-stream, sometimes they dont. How can you tell? Often you can't! Merely, the point at which you do figure it out, that is when to stop the preaching. If you can then say something you both agree on, thats nice. If not, at least to stop before they become too angry or irritated. There is no fool proof formula here, except one. When we sincerely try, even if we mess up (by accident) Prabhupada protects us. As does Krishna. There is a verse in the Gita where Krishna says for His deovtee, He carries what they lack, and preserves what they have. So we just keep sincerely trying, maybe take a break, then try a new method again, or return to the old one if it is workable. Also, there are a variety of forms of preaching. Its not always face to face wihch we should do. I was horrid on sankirtana! And I didnt like it either. It stressed me out, yet to this day I still I wish it did not, and that I had that ability. But reality is, I'm lousy on skp. However, I discovered I did well in correspondence. This lead to various fields of preaching at different times during my devotional life. My English grammar may not be so great (I know it Babru, I know it ha), but somehow or other my communicative abilities get the message through. Find your nitch, what you are good at it, then use it in Krishna's service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGTSP Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 the greastest "tool" devotees have in preaching is the MAHA-MANTRA itself. unless one is properly qualified to preach, inaccuracies may occur in context...but we need no understanding of the language of the maha-mantra to chant and sing the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of course once someones hears the mantra they might become inquistive as to what it is, what it means...then this opens the door for further explaniation. Remember people can't walk into Harvard and ask for a diplomia, no, they must attend years of schooling, excel at their grades, apply then commit themselves to vigorious studies to achieve this goal. Self-realization is the same way, you can't understand the nectar right away, you have to start off slow from the beginning and advance from there... and the MAHA-MANTRA is the most beneficial way to start on the path of self realization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priitaa Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 Haribol AGTSP prabhu, I agree spreading the MahaMantra is one of the best preaching tools, but I never read anywhere that Prabhupada said due to risk of inaccuracies, we should not speak. If anything, what I recall is the opposite. Of course, we should learn 'how' to preach, but there is no Harvard for that. We learn by doing, and by taking suggestions from others too. After all, Srila Prabhuapada started a "preaching" movement. A large part of his mission was based in preaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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