Preaching in Vedic scriptures

Hare Krishna, 

I am trying to find scriptural basis on preaching Krishna Consciousness. I understand that in many Bhagavatam purports, Prabhupada cited BG 18:68-71 and Chaitanya charitamrita. However, in the previous verses of BG Ch-18.67, Lord Krishna forbade to preach to non-devotees, without austerity and envious towards Him. Even in 18:68 Lord Krishna tells everyone to preach towards devotee only. Two questions: First, if Krishna consciousness is not preached towards a non-devotee, how can be saved from Maya and become devotee? Second, on what basis then, does ISKCON preach to non-devotees in airport or in the street by Harinam? 

I appreciate your responses with scriptural references. 

Haribol, 

Sanjoy

You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!

Join ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • Devotional service should be preached to all living beings, in this way, one becomes well wisher of everyone.  The spreading of singing holy names of Lord is the best way of saving people from miseries of material life. 

    For devotional service everybody is qualified :

    SB 7.6.24Therefore, my dear young friends born of demons, please act in such a way that the Supreme Lord, who is beyond the conception of material knowledge, will be satisfied. Give up your demoniac nature and act without enmity or duality. Show mercy to all living entities by enlightening them in devotional service, thus becoming their well-wishers.

    .

    On another side, for receiving transcendental knowledge  and its understandings one need to be qualified. And not only student, but the teacher as well.  If just one of them isn't qualified, then failure is imminent. 

  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    This is a very good question. How to introduce people to Krsna Consciousness when there is a restriction to preach. Even the 9th offence is to preach to the unfaithful. 

    The thing is - even among non devotees, there are 2 categories - one is the ignorant, who may have never heard of Krsna or have little information about Krsna, the other is who already know about Krsna, but have no faith or faith is elsewhere. The bar is to preach to the second category of ignorant people - who know but have no faith on Krsna. We can try to give mercy by offering prasadam or doing harinaam, because normally people dont refuse prasadam, and they  cannot avoid hearing harinaam if its happening in their vicinity. No one knows when the latent bhakti within will get activated, thats why we keep trying. 

    To the first category, they dont know anything about Krsna or maybe they know very less. So it is better to tell them, they will be open. Still, one has to draw a line on case to case basis, how  much to tell and subsequently how much to push them. 

    The idea is that by running behind such people, our sadhana should not affected, our faith should not shake. 

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Radha Rasamayi DD

This reply was deleted.