Unless we read and understand the philosophy – this Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within few years

Unless we read and understand the philosophy –
this Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within few years

“Unless we take care of the books and preach and read ourself, understand the philosophy, this Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within few years” (SP Dec 12 1973 LA)

1.) Dec 12 1973 morning walk LA —

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have to work. That is preaching. You don’t think preaching is so easy going. Eating, sleeping, and sometimes chanting, “Haribol,” that’s all. That is not preaching. We must be ready to implant Kṛṣṇa consciousness ideas, throughout the whole world.

Umāpati: That probably won’t happen overnight, though.

Prabhupāda: The Deity worship program is meant for us to keep us safe. If we neglect Deity worship, we shall also fall. But that is not the all duty finished. Arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate. Arcā means Deity. If anyone is worshiping the Deity very nicely, but na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, but he does not know anything more, who is devotee, who is nondevotee, what is the duty to the world, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, he is material devotee. He is material devotee. So we have to take the responsibility to understand who is actually a pure devotee and what is our duty to the people in general, and then you make advancement. Then you become madhyama-adhikārī. Madhyama-adhikārī, advanced devotee. Just like these people, either in India or here, they remain simply churchianity, going to the church without any understanding. Therefore it is failing. It is now… Churches are being closed. Similarly, if you do not keep yourself fit to preach, then your temples will be all closed in due course of time. Without preaching, you’ll not feel enthused to continue the temple worship. And without temple worship, you cannot keep yourself pure and clean. The two things must go on, parallel. Then there is success. In modern time, either Hindus, Muslim or Christian, because in these places there is no teaching of philosophy, therefore they are closing, either mosque or temple or church. They will close.

Prajāpati: They can show no good result for their activities.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is preaching. Therefore we are writing so many books. Unless we take care of the books and preach and read ourself, understand the philosophy, this Hare Kṛṣṇa will be finished within few years. Because there will be no life. How long one can artificially go on, “Hare Kṛṣṇa! Haribol!” That will be artificial, no life.

Yaśomatīnandana: That’s right Prabhupāda. We are so foolish, we never realize anything unless you tell us like that. Without preaching…

Prabhupāda: Without preaching, without understanding philosophy, you cannot keep your strength. Everyone should be thoroughly well-conversed with the philosophy which we are putting… That means you must read thoroughly every day. So many books we have got. And Bhāgavata is so perfect that any verse you read, you get a new enlightenment. It is so nice. Either Bhagavad-gītā or Bhāgavata. But it is not ordinary writing.

2.) Letter to Tejiyas Dec 19 1972

By all means we must preserve our spiritual status, that is the point, not that we are mad after big buildings, many devotees, life-members, this, that—no, these are only ways to engage the devotees so that they may apply the principles of devotional living to some kind of work for practical realization of these principles. It is not the result of the work we want. If only one person daily, if we sincerely preach to such one person in a day, that is sufficient, never mind big, big programmes.

3.)Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio

“This boy hears very nicely. He does not go away,” the first impression he gave to other godbrothers. “So I shall make him disciple.” These very words he said. Actually I did not follow him in the beginning. High philosophical speaking and I was a new boy. I could not follow him, but actually I was so much glad to hear him. That’s all. So that was my qualification, whatever you may say. I was simply asking, “When Guru Maharaja will speak? When he will speak? When?” And I will sit down and go on hearing, and I will understand or not understand – -others will disperse — I will not disperse. That he marked.Yes….

…So one who is serious about hearing, he can become a future nice preacher. Sravanam kirtanam. Next stage is developed. That is development. If one has actually heard nicely, then he will speak nicely. Sravanam kirtanam smaranam. Then consciousness will automatically develop because when you speak or you hear, unless your mind is concentrated, your consciousness is right, you cannot rightly hear or speak. Sravanam kirtanam smaranam pada-sevanam. And then the development, “How I shall serve Krsna? Krsna is so loving. Krsna is so great,” that automatically comes. Not silent, but activity.”

4.)When one is actually an experienced preacher, then he is able to chant Hare Krishna without any offense…Lect, sept. 16, 1976, Vrindavan

Some Conclusions— What devotee does not like to do kirtan and take Krsna Prasadam? Or see beautiful Deities dressed nicely? Krsna is All Attractive in His Holy Names, in His preaching, and in His Deity Form. Does anybody want that nectar to stop in his or her life? No sane devotee would, that is for sure. So how do we ensure that we will ALWAYS be able to have nice devotee association, be able to see Deities beautifully dressed, and take part in Krsna Kirtan for the rest of our lives? Srila Prabhupada explains above that because he wanted greatly to hear from his guru, that was his qualification to later on become a world acarya by his preaching. First hearing, then chanting then remembering about Krsna-this is the process. If we hear nicely then we will want to preach nicely and as he says above, without becoming an experienced preacher we wont be able to chant Hare Krsna mantra without offenses. Which means, we remain within the material atmosphere as a materialistic devotee.

Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das