Article by Upendranath Dasa
“REACH IN ENGLISH”: Base on Srila Prabhupada’s Lecture on Srila Bhakti-siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada’s Appearance Day, Los Angeles February 7, 1969
Who do Gaudiya Vaisnavas “Preachers” Like to Preach to the Most?
Caitanya-caritamrta Madhai-lila 22.83,
“The root cause of devotional service to Lord Krishna is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Krishna awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.”
Gaudiya Vaisnavas Preachers, desire to preach to anyone whom will lend an ear, if you will. However, Gaudiya Vaisnavas Preachers do have a favorite audience; other devotees.
Why does such a preacher, especially care to preach to other devotees specifically!
This one is what is called “a no brainer”; but I will use an analogy to make it clear.
Because that is the “Mother-Load of Krishna-consciousness Gold”, if you will. Moreover, this is exactly why:
Bhagavad-gita 18.68-69, Krishna say’s,
“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.”
“There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.”
PURPORT to Bhagavad-gita 18.68:
Generally, it is advised that Bhagavad-gita be discussed amongst the devotees only, for those who are not devotees will understand neither Krishna nor Bhagavad-gita. Those who do not accept Krishna as He is, and Bhagavad-gita as it is, should not try to explain Bhagavad-gita whimsically, and become offenders. Bhagavad-gita should be explained to persons who are ready to accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is a subject matter for the devotees only and not for philosophical speculators.
Anyone, however, who tries sincerely to present Bhagavad-gita as it is, will advance in devotional activities, and reach the pure devotional state of life. As a result of such pure devotion, he is sure to go back home, back to Godhead.
These verses, in them self’s, leaves no doubt, that to “Preach To Devotees” is the preaching Gaudiya Vaisnava preachers desire to do the most, and is the preaching, which benefits them the most. Krishna says,
“For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear”
What does “to the devotees” mean in these two verses? Well Srila Prabhupada explains in the Purport to 18.68,
“Bhagavad-gita should be explained to persons who are ready to accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is a subject matter for the devotees only and not for philosophical speculators.”
Persons on the FaceBook social media application, means just that; it is a platform for “SOCIAL MEDIA”, or in other words, it is a platform for “A Mutual Admiration Society”.
“A Mutual Admiration Society” is a group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.
That surely describes what goes on, in the FaceBook Website.
Unfortunately, there is a large community, if you will, of devotees who have taken shelter of that Social Media Website, that was literally created, and produced, and maintained, by Demoniac Human Beings, or known as “asuras”.
Why have so many Srila Prabhupada disciples, and his followers, taken shelter of such an enterprise, is actually no mystery. They all failed to follow Srila Prabhupada orders and instructions, when Srila Prabhupada was present, and they continue to not follow his orders and instructions today, in 2023. Hence, they all need to be in a place, where they can receive, “Likes”, “Thumbs up”, “Love hearts”, and all kinds of “emojis”, which are absolutely “Useless”. In this manner, they do not have to think about the fact that they “are not pleasing Srila Prabhupada”. They can forget about the fact, that they do not chant 16 rounds, or following the 4 regulative principles. Srila Prabhupada wrote this instruction, way back in 1965.
Moreover, these disciples of Srila Prabhupada and his followers, were lazy and not serious, when Srila Prabhupada was present. And now in 2023, they are even more lazy, and even more not serious than before. And even more disturbing,
They think that they can concoct their own way of practicing Krishna-consciousness, than the manner Srila Prabhupada prescribed.
You can say that FaceBook, is the “Ass-Hole” of social Media on this Planet Earth. Why? Because the only thing that comes out of this Website, is “Foul Smelling Stool”.
Hence, I for one, do not want to enter into such a space of hopelessness and uselessness.
And this “Friend” thing, where one can enter into the “Illusion” that he has hundreds and even thousands of so called “Friends”; however, in most cases, the great majority of these friends that devotees have, are actually really “strangers”.
I know the day, but I will skip the details, but it was Jan 9th 1976, in Los Angeles, a Sannaysi asked Srila Prabhupada what a “Friend” is, and this Sannaysi, told me just a few minutes later. He said Srila Prabhupada said,
“Someone is your Friend, if you can reveal your mind to them, without the fear of ‘Exploitation’ or ‘Rejection.”
“You are a Friend to someone, if they can reveal their mind to you, without the fear of “Exploitation’ or ‘Rejection.”
“Everyone should have at least one such Friend”!
FaceBook is not a platform for real understanding of “KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS”.
What I found on FaceBook, was largely, too much, over abondance, of neophyte devotees, who have no interest, in following the rules and regulation, of Krishna-consciousness, and learning how to make advancement, from their Komala-state, and climb up to the platform of Madhyama-adhikari, what to speak of the Madhyama-bhagavata. This requires hard work, and those on FaceBook, are just looking for an easy way, and thus they concoct so much non-sense to facilitate getting pats-on-their-backs, so to speak.
I found that for me, it was not possible to preach, like I preach, as is represented in my Treatise “Moving Forward”, and other works, on this website.
It took me one month, of preaching the way I do, to finally come to understand what I said. There was a circumstance, that arose all of a sudden, a “kicker” if you will; that caused me to understand, that I was wasting my time.
But actually, it was not a waste of time.
I preached to “wane-be” and genuine “Kanistha-adhikaris”, I preached to Krishna’s devotees non the less, and I could not even get one to read what I wrote; I failed royally. Nevertheless, that is no consequence to me.
It does matter if I succeed or fail. I preached to more or less, devotees of Krishna. And Krishna says he really likes that the best.
So, to Please Krishna, is the only reason why an English speaking Gaudiya Vaisnava “Preaches in English”, according to his Spiritual Master, and the Past-Acaryas instructions; success or failure is of no consequence. KI JAI !