Video-class with Syndey devotees
In this class Acharyadeva addresses the issue of properly communicating with people by taking genuine interest in them as persons and not just seeing them as a philosophical category, with a mature understanding of the difference between the basic principles and the adjustable details of our philosophy (video, audio and transcript below).
http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/867822
Click here to listen to the audio recording!
Summarized transcription:
In spiritual life there is always a tension between renouncing the world and saving the word. This tension is also acknowledged in the Vaishnava world as the difference between phalgu- vairagya and yukta-vairagya . We want to renounce the world by renouncing our desire to enjoy and exploit it, and we want to engage in serving Krsna. The question is, how much can we engage it, and at what point are we becoming victimized by our attempt to engage the world? Srila Prabhupada said you can fish but don’t get wet. If the fish is too big, it will pull you in the water. So at what point are you being pulled into the material world, and at that point are you getting the trophy fish, the fruitive workers, to engage in Krsna Consciousness?
To what extent do we understand the world? We may have a clear philosophical understanding based on our scriptures, but the difficulty may come when we go out into the world and we feel we can persuade people simply on the basis of this philosophical understanding: “Hey, you are a fruitive worker, you enjoy the fruits of your work, you are in the bodily concept of life which is the cause of your suffering and I have the medicine for you – Harinama - which will bring you out of the bodily concept”. Now, that is absolutely true. However, how many people are really philosophical nowadays? Most people aren’t. A general broad philosophical presentation - even though it may be true - doesn’t establish anything like intimacy with the people we are trying to preach to. How many people change their lives or develop faith in Krishna based on a philosophical insight? How many devotees even? We can see is that there are many devotees who can easily pass a bhakti sastri test but who don’t necessarily change their lives.
Even devotees in the Hare Krishna movement don’t feel comfortable in every temple. There are thousands of stories where devotees are burnt out. Even among ourselves, not to speak of the fruitives, we may not feel comfortable. So how do we present Krishna Consciousness in a way which philosophically makes sense to people? Most people don’t traffic in philosophical areas. How do we make them feel that we understand them? Do we even understand them? The question is, who do we chose as our intimate friends? There are many people with whom we share a philosophy, but it doesn’t mean that with every devotee there is an intimate friendship. So even among ourselves there aren’t intimate relationships based on an agreement of abstract philosophy. There has to be something more, a recognition that someone understands or likes me. We are not going to bring large numbers of people and of establish relationships by throwing on them abstract philosophy. If we develop a monolog, where we have a lot to say and they have to listen – people are not so much attracted to that. And if it is a dialogue, the question is, do you really understand them? Do you like them? Do you know enough about that person to like them? Of is it just that you are part and parcel of Krsna? Do you really see that person as a person and not as a philosophical category?
We would have sankirtan classes in the old days where we used all kinds of techniques. We meditated on seeing these people as spirit souls. That is true, but they are also uniquely individual souls, conditioned in their own unique ways. Especially in big cities people are looking for friendships, for someone that really cares about them. We have to care about them as real people. How can you really communicate with them if you haven’t really understood who they are?
So it is dialogue, and when we present Krishna Consciousness there are certain principles which we can never compromise, such as Krsna is the Absolute Truth and we practice bhakti-yoga under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada, but there are other things where there is some flexibility. So when we go out, in order to be spiritual scientists we really have to know the difference between fundamental principles and flexible details in a mature way. The mere fact that Krishna Consciousness is a science doesn’t mean that we are able present it in a scientific way. We have to be authentic, loyal to the parampara and sensitive to the personal needs, fears, hopes and prejudices of the people we are talking to. If we don’t do that or if we have a certain pride and motive, and people don’t care about us, they are just reciprocating. We have to have a mature, serious concern about people that makes us care.
Q: How to find a balance between being a preacher and being a friend?
A: I don’t think you can be preacher if you aren’t a friend. Krishna in Gita says He is the well-wishing friend of all beings. We are supposed to represent Krsna not only philosophically but also emotionally. We also present His feelings towards people.
Q: We live in a time where people are wary of friendliness. When we smile at them they think we want something.
A: We have to examine our own deep psychology to see what we want and how we smile at people. There is a way to smile which is authentic and makes people happy.
Q: How to present Krishna Consciousness during this time of global economic crisis?
A: The best things in life are still free or very inexpensive. When people are suffering we can “co-miserate”: This is something which really works, it is recession-proof. We more we are attached to a certain level of money, the more we suffer. You can strengthen your consciousness by rising above that. Our happiness doesn’t depend on that because it is on another platform.
Q: Many Krishna conscious stories appear to be far-fetched or mythology (such as swan airplanes), how to present these stories?
A: The reason people have problems with that is, that they are too provincial and small-minded. We have certain experiences here on earth and there is a lot in the universe beyond our understanding. So, to think that anything beyond earthlike experiences is but mythology is extremely self-centered and small-minded. We also have to see which scripture something is from and if it is interpolated.
Basically there are two possibilities: Everything in the universe is exactly like on earth or there are significant differences between things on earth today and on other planets at other times.
The first option sounds like an absurd assumption. When people see movies like “Lord of the Ring” or “Star Wars”, it attracts them. While you are watching it is real for you, you suspend your disbelief because intuitively you know that there are things like that. I find the idea that everything in the universe is like on the earth today extremely mythological and unsophisticated.
Q: How can we make our temples more attractive?
A: Ask the people whom you want to attract. We are so fixed on our Absoluteness that the last thing we would do is ask people. Instead we ask each other. Ask them what they like about the temple and what they don’t like. Ask them what would convince them to come back.
