Hare Krishna.
It is very difficult to preach krishna's message in this modern world. when i try to convince that krishna is the personality of godhead they don't agree. lot's of people with lot's of gods it is happining in my family also. what should i do.
Replies
not only in modern world, but at any point of time, it is difficult to make people that krsna is supreme personality of godhead. even when krsna had appeared in this material world, many people didn't believe him to be supreme personality of godhead. They just thought him to be some great person with extraordinary or mystic power. EG:- Duryodhana - In Mahabharata we come across an instance when he even thought of arresting krsna and killing him when he came as a messenger on behalf of pandavas to avoid the kurushetra war.
Also the 4 kumaras accepted krsna's personality after a very long time. There are many other examples in bhagavatam also.
Krsna himself tells that a devotee is extremely rare.
BG 7.3- "Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth."
BG 7.19 "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare."
Hence it is no surprise that people don't get convinced that Krsna is the supreme personality of godhead.
In SB 7.5.30 & 31 prahlad maharaj says the reason why people don't accept krsna:
"Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both. Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries."
Fortunately he gives the solution also for the same in 7.5.32: "Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities."
So they have to be bath with the dust of lotus feet of a very pure devotee. This is the actual solution as given by prahlad maharaj. But it is not practical neither for them to believe this and bath in the dust or also for us to throw dust on them. So best thing is to feed them with krsna Prasad or mahaprasad of some pure devotee.
Also give them some service which may look like materialistic, like bringing vegetables or fruits or flowers for krsna.
Remember one thing that you should never force such people, especially family members. Force will only tend them to move more away. Don't expect that they hear some lecture or seminar from you daily. Don't present pessimistic view of material world to them. Don't criticise them when they are engaged in sense gratificatory activities.
Share with them about the many beautiful things in the world. Also share with them many astonshing facts like the speed of rotation and revolution of earth, etc.
Even if they worship other gods don't stop them from doing that. In fact in BG krsna says that he only makes their faith stronger in demigods. Just ask them to continue their daily worship to other gods, but request them to chant 1 round which will take hardly 6-7 minutes. And most important is give them love not find faults in them and most most important - pray to nityananda mahaprabhu to make them devotees. with his mercy you can make people like jagai and madhai also devotees. And pray to krsna to furnish you the most important quality of a preacher ie:- to be very humble, tolerant and patient. Remember-You cannot make devotees at gun-point.
Please forgive me for any mistakes or if any part of the reply hurts you.
Haribol
so true ganesh prabhuji. hare krishna
yes, yes, very nice points Ganesh Prabhuji, thank You so much!
faith will have those who have some sukriti - spiritual pious karma. So compassionate Devotees travel everywhere and try to create such like sukriti in others by engaging them in devotional service.
As like Srila Prabhupada and other Devotees are doing.
There is agyata sukriti - sukriti done unknowingly and gyata sukriti sukriti done knowingly.
So many karmis do not have knowledge about Krishna and Prasadam so eating Krishna Prasadam they are honoring Krishna in this way collect sukriti. When it will be enough in their bank balance faith will come.
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Once Srila Prabhupada was giving lecture and one drunk person entered to the hall and left some fresh toilet papers. Srila Prabhupada told that it is bhakti - devotional service. When we do devotional service Krishna will give us intelligence to understand Him better.
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Your servant,