Hare Krishna to all devoteesAll glories to Srila PrabhupadaMy dear devotees please kindly give me your adviceSpiritual vision team or senior devotees in my temple give an instruction to engage the teenagers to take the responsibility on devotional service programs for whole day and i have a duty to give lecture. Honestly, i do not want to take this responsibility because i am a neophyte, i don't have any experince, this is my first time.So what should i do? I would like to give my best to Lord Krishna.
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
Generally, the practise is to follow the advice or direction of senior vaishnavas. If your temple thinks that you are capable of giving lecture, then try. You shoudl give the lecture after having researched your subject, prepared in advance, gotten shlokas and references from where you are quoting. Your mood of giving lecture should be as a service to Krsna, not to declare yourself to be a very exalted devotee or to gain brownie points among peer group for your knowledge or speaking skills.
If someone asks you a question to which you do not know the answer, humbly accept that you do not know, you will find out from your seniors and revert. Then ask a senior and make it a point to go back to the person who asked you and give the answer you got.
The entire concept of preaching is to give the knowledge as you receive it, without additions from your side. The only additions permitted are your own realisations in the matter.
Another rule of preaching is - achaar before prachaar. That is, practise before you preach. Generally, I do not advice anything to anyone that I have not done myself. If such situation arises where I know the theory, but I have not been able to put it in practise, then I tell the theory with the rider that I still have to practise it.
One more thing, do not allow or encourage followers at this stage. YOu are much too young, age wise as well as spiritually to be able to handle people who think you are a pure devotee. Always be honest if people mistake you to be one. Tell them and yourself both that while you may be able to help or guide others because you came to the movement before them, you still have a long personal journey before you can be called a devotee.
Replies
Hare KRsna Komang Mataji,
PAMHO.
How were your exams ? Good to see you back.
Generally, the practise is to follow the advice or direction of senior vaishnavas. If your temple thinks that you are capable of giving lecture, then try. You shoudl give the lecture after having researched your subject, prepared in advance, gotten shlokas and references from where you are quoting. Your mood of giving lecture should be as a service to Krsna, not to declare yourself to be a very exalted devotee or to gain brownie points among peer group for your knowledge or speaking skills.
If someone asks you a question to which you do not know the answer, humbly accept that you do not know, you will find out from your seniors and revert. Then ask a senior and make it a point to go back to the person who asked you and give the answer you got.
The entire concept of preaching is to give the knowledge as you receive it, without additions from your side. The only additions permitted are your own realisations in the matter.
Another rule of preaching is - achaar before prachaar. That is, practise before you preach. Generally, I do not advice anything to anyone that I have not done myself. If such situation arises where I know the theory, but I have not been able to put it in practise, then I tell the theory with the rider that I still have to practise it.
One more thing, do not allow or encourage followers at this stage. YOu are much too young, age wise as well as spiritually to be able to handle people who think you are a pure devotee. Always be honest if people mistake you to be one. Tell them and yourself both that while you may be able to help or guide others because you came to the movement before them, you still have a long personal journey before you can be called a devotee.
Best of luck,
Do keep in touch,
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi