Srila Prabhupada gave the example of a man flying a kite at a cliff's edge. Totally absorbed, his eyes fixed in the sky, he does not perceive the danger of imminent death. Seeing his precarious situation, any commonsensical observer would call out to warn him. Only a madman would think, ''He is enjoying flying the kite. Why should I disturb him?'' A sane man must call out, ''Watch out!'' If the kite-flyer is a fool and a rascal, he will not heed the warning. Rather, keeping his eyes determinedly fixed in the air, he will rebuke his well-wisher, ''Why are you disturbing me? Can't you see I'm flying my kite? Do you think I don't know what I'm doing?'' Or, in arrogance, the foolish kite-flyer may simply ignore his well-wisher. Just to shock the rascal to come to his senses and save him from certain doom, the observer may urgently berate him, ''You fool! You rascal!'' The kite-flyer may not like such insulting words, although meant for his benefit.
The above example nullifies the objection that forceful speaking makes us unpopular. To be unpopular among fools is not bad; what is bad is to acquiesce to their foolishness by not speaking against it. We have to try to save people, even against their protests.
Our Krsna consciousness movement is a protest against all this nonsense. And therefore we are unpopular. But we don't care for that. Popular or unpopular, we must go on with our business. 701213SB.IND
It is a fact that demons do not like our cutting preaching. In the Hitopadesa, such foolish rascals have been compared to snakes.
payah-panam bhujanganam
kevalam visa-vardhanam
upadeso hi murkhanam
prakopaya na santaye
Just as feeding milk to a snake only increases its venomous poison, so giving good counsel to a foolish person causes him to become more angry.
Let the rascals become angry. The so-called leaders and experts are simply bluffing and cheating people. Their foolishness should be exposed by challenging them. Tavac ca sobhate murkho yavat kincin na bhasate. "A so-called gentleman may appear to be very nice as long he does not speak. But as soon as he opens his mouth, his actual position is revealed." Among the public, those who are more honest will not dislike, but rather respect our straightforwardness. If we just go on giving our message as it is, it will gradually be accepted for what it is.
- From the "My Memories of Srila Prabhupada" by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami
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