CONSCIOUSNESS OF A DEVOTEE WHILE PREACHING

As practitioners of Krishna Consciousness, we come across many different people with many different personalities and propensities.  It is indeed a challenge to understand how to deal with each person while also avoiding unnecessary interactions that can hamper our devotional progress.  It is important for us to know that we have to develop and maintain the necessary attitude of a devotee towards karmis or even non-devotees – first being compassion.

Everyone in this world needs love, affection and genuine care and if nothing else, atleast empathetic disposition – all of which are so hard to come by in this Age of Quarrel. We have to help them without any expectations and how can we do this without being entangled in any one person’s problems?

There are three ways in which we can primarily induce someone to Krishna Consciousness, when they have no idea or interest in spiritual realization.

1.  Offering them prasadam:  This is the most effective and potent way of helping another living entity to get connected to Krishna and His direct Mercy.

2.  Distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books to them:  You can start with the small ones – and encourage them to read it by quoting examples on how it has made a difference in your life or anyone you know.  Most people hesitate to explore spiritual realms because they feel they need to drop everything that they are doing and become ascetics.  Srila Prabhupada says in his lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.2, “So it doesn’t matter whether you remain outside home or inside home, what is your occupation, but do not forget your real business”.  So a devotee has to slowly and steadily remind all people he comes in touch with, their real business. And that, they can do it while remaining in whatever material position they are in.

3.  Inducing them to chant Holy names of the Lord – the Hare Krishna Mahamantra:  Namacharya Srila Haridasa Thakura says, “..The whole world will be inundated with the chanting of the holy name: with loud congregational chanting, the holy name is to be propagated widely among the masses. Those who are faithful will come forward and choose a bona fide spiritual master, receiving instructions and initiation in the name from him. By sincere chanting they will surely obtain love of Godhead, Krsnaprema.”  (Harinam Cintamani).  A devotee must always look for ways to expose karmis to the Holy name vibrations.  Inviting them for a temple program, special festival, celebrations, rath yatra, prasadam treats etc. are great ways to do this.

They key here is to build that bridge of trust and faith.  And convert that into a bonding through Krishna Consciousness (and nothing else!).  When we related to everyone through and for Krishna, there is no scope of fall down or contamination.  So the key is not to take their association but give them our association – for Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.  Else, like Srila Rupa Gosvami says, “if we get too entangled in associations with worldly minded persons who are not at all interested in Krishna consciousness, our devotional life will be spoiled” 

One should not, at any time, use the bond or relationship they build with mundaners, for extracting personal favors or benefits.  Not should we make it all about money collection for the temple, which is a good thought but is only a means to an end.  The end result we want for Srila Prabhupada is that, the people we associate with get attracted to Krishna and Krishna Consciousness movement.  And then, they will volunteer to services with all their body, mind, intelligence and other resources.

Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 9.13

mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam
“O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in
devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.” 

Since all the devotees of the Lord are under the protection of His supreme potency, they should not deviate from the path of devotional service and take to the path of the karmi, jnani or yogi. This is called utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat, enthusiastically executing the regulative activities of devotional service with patience and confidence. In this way one can advance in devotional service without hindrance.

Above all, one should be careful to never be careless or relaxes on the importance of association with other advanced devotees.  In Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.11 Dhruva Maharaj prays,

bhaktim muhuh pravahataam tvayi me prasango
bhuyaad ananta mahataam amalaashayaanaam
yenaanjasolbanam uru-vyasanam bhavaabdhim
neshye bhavad-guna-kathaamrta-paana-mattah

“O unlimited Lord, kindly bless me so that I may associate with great devotees who engage in Your transcendental loving service constantly, as the waves of a river constantly flow. Such transcendental devotees are completely situated in an uncontaminated state of life. By the process of devotional service I shall surely be able to cross the nescient ocean of material existence, which is filled with the waves of blazing, firelike dangers. It will be very easy for me, for I am becoming mad to hear about Your transcendental qualities and pastimes, which are eternally existent.”

So we must always take shelter of the Lotus Feet of the Bona fide spiritual master and the Supreme Lord Krishna and Their instructions.  Through them, our attitudes and associations – both get purified gradually and steadily and we can become dynamic, exemplary instruments in the propagation of Lord Caitanya’s movement.