7.3: Srila Prabhupada
Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON
Srila Prabhupada’s preaching example is not only interesting to us because he is the founder of ISKCON, but also because he is the one whose preaching spread Krishna consciousness around the globe. We will also learn here about how preaching developed within ISKCON after Srila Prabhupada established it.
Srila Prabhupada
From the time Srila Prabhupada met his spiritual master, he was engaged in the preaching mission. The following lists some milestones in Srila Prabhupada’s life as a preacher:
- Taking up the mission of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (Calcutta, 1922)
- Making preaching programmes at home
- Writing, producing and distributing Back To Godhead magazine (started 1944)
- Establishing the League of Devotees at Jhansi
- Writing his books, placing them in shops (bringing them to the President)
- Accepting sannyasa (the renounced order of life) in 1959
- Going to America to preach (Sep 1965)
- Establishing the first temple in New York
- Engaging the hippies in chanting, dancing, eating prasadam, and listening to some philosophy
- First public harinam: Tompkins Square Park
- Establishing further temples around America
- Sending disciples abroad
- Travelling, lecturing, and writing profusely
- Meeting VIPs
- Establishing ISKCON’s infrastructure (GBC, etc.)
- Establishing various ISKCON preaching programmes
ISKCON
- The main methods of preaching for the devotees in the beginning were going on harinam and inviting people to the sumptuous Sunday Feasts.
- Gradually magazine distribution accompanied all harinams.
- "Krishna Book" first distributed at 1970 Ratha-yatra, San Francisco.
- Devotees found ways to distribute the books, gradually focused more on that, and became increasingly competent.
- Devotees “discover” the Christmas marathon
- Devotees distribute prasadam and magazines on the subways of New York
- The Radha-Damodara Bus Party
- Improper tactics, attitudes, and methods crept into the preaching practices:
- Too much emphasis on money
- Devotees believed they could do anything to sell books and Krishna would protect them; “the end justifies the means,” “by hook or by crook.”
- The distributor is always right; who cares what a sinful karmi thinks.
- Lying and trickery
- Being overly pushy, aggressive, and mistreating people
A long journey of learning separates the ISKCON of the 70s from the ISKCON of today. Today, preachers are far more conscious of the importance of leaving good impressions on people. We have training for preachers and more mature experienced leaders.
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