Making a Prediction is Not Always a Mystical Affair
Making a prediction is not always a mystical affair. Sometimes a prediction is simply a matter of one having enough intelligence to take a one from here, and a one from there, to put them together and conclude two.
There are three types of students—the maximally motivated, the intermediately motivated, and the least motivated—exist in all learning situations. I believe it must apply in ISKCON as well, and indeed experience has borne out this fact. Devotees fall into three groups,
- Those who want to know where to step next to advance.
- Those who just want to maintain the status quo.
- Those who are indifferent, kind of going along for the ride.
What about our preaching to the public? Here we should apply the same principle—try as much as possible to preach to the most intelligent men. Prabhupada numerous times expressed his desire that we target intelligent men. We do not do that enough. We are more secure with the easy victory over the less intelligent, than the challenge of preaching to the more intelligent class. The easy victory gives us a sense of victory or achievement at first. However, that ends in foolishness because our society deteriorates until no intelligent person is attracted to us, the topmost of philosophies notwithstanding.
One of the reasons for us seeking the easy victory, is that to win over the intelligent class, we need more than philosophy. Our character and performance come under scrutiny. The dynamics within our society will come under scrutiny. Preaching to the intelligent class, therefore, is not just a matter of harder work—it also confers a greater responsibility to live up to what we preach and exposes us to a greater vulnerability. We cannot just act whimsically with an intelligent person and pass it off as being “for Krishna” or with “Prabhupada said.” Dogmatism is not acceptable to intelligent people. Therefore, Prabhupada explains how Krishna consciousness is to be preached with all logic and argument:
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.1-5—Lecture, Calcutta, January 6, 1971:
And those who are actually Vaisnava, they follow this instruction.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.1,
“Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, the servants of Lord Visnu are always very expert in logic and arguments. After hearing the statements of the Yamadutas, they replied as follows”
Purport:
Naya-kovidah. Naya-kovidah means nyaya-nipuna. Bhagavad-dutas, those who are gosvamis, they place everything with nyaya, or logic.
Their instructions are not blind, dogmatic. Naya-kovidah. Everything, what is said by Krishna or His representative, they are not dogmas. Those who are not representative of Krishna, they will say simply dogmas. Just like in every religion there is a dogma. But in bhagavata religion, bhagavata-dharma, there is no dogma. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s bhagavata-dharma, the Caitanya-caritamrta’s author, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, says, therefore, that caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. Vicara means you just try to understand the gift of Lord Caitanya by logic, vicara. Don’t follow blindly. Following blindly something, that is not good. That will not stay.
But one should take everything with logic. But the servants of God, they put everything in logic. Caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. If you study the Caitanya’s philosophy with logic and argument… Don’t go by sentiment. The so-called missionary, they’re simply bogus propaganda without any logic. Without any logic.”
Prabhupada explains how Krishna consciousness is to be preached with all logic and argument:
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.1-5—Lecture, Calcutta, January 6, 1971:
And those who are actually Vaisnava, they follow this instruction.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.1,
“Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, the servants of Lord Visnu are always very expert in logic and arguments. After hearing the statements of the Yamadutas, they replied as follows”
Purport:
Naya-kovidah. Naya-kovidah means nyaya-nipuna. Bhagavad-dutas, those who are gosvamis, they place everything with nyaya, or logic. Their instructions are not blind, dogmatic. Naya-kovidah. Everything, what is said by Krishna or His representative, they are not dogmas. Those who are not representative of Krishna, they will say simply dogmas. Just like in every religion there is a dogma. But in bhagavata religion, bhagavata-dharma, there is no dogma. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s bhagavata-dharma, the Caitanya-caritamrta’s author, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, says, therefore, that caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. Vicara means you just try to understand the gift of Lord Caitanya by logic, vicara. Don’t follow blindly. Following blindly something, that is not good. That will not stay. But one should take everything with logic. But the servants of God, they put everything in logic. Caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. If you study the Caitanya’s philosophy with logic and argument… Don’t go by sentiment. The so-called missionary, they’re simply bogus propaganda without any logic. Without any logic.”